


Through Wind and Willows: Vol. I

by NightWritesTales



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Attempted Gangrape, Dismemberment, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forced Nudity, Forced Orgasm, Graphic Description, Kidnapping, Sexual Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:21:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWritesTales/pseuds/NightWritesTales
Summary: After the events of "Midnight Scrum", Hiccup and Astrid are taken from Dragon's Edge by a crew of hunters they don't recognize. But this imprisonment will go far beyond the average predicaments they've found themselves in before. When the two are separated and forced into the unforgiving world of human slavery, their faith will be tested as they succumb to the most unimaginable torment the world has to offer.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 28
Kudos: 61





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This fic will contain extreme and graphic depictions of violence, rape/non-con, torture, etc.  
> Everything will be tagged accordingly as it goes along, if you are sensitive to any of these elements, I strongly recommend you do not read this fic. For those who read on, this is a story I've been detailing for a while now. It will be a very long one, broken up into 3 volumes total. I will try to update as much as I can, as I'm very passionate about this story and want to give my readers quality over quantity.
> 
> And finally, thank you for choosing my story, I hope you enjoy it! Comments are greatly appreciated and always motivate me to write more, so don't hesitate to tell me what you think!
> 
> Without further ado, the darkness awaits...

_ **Volume I: Torment** _

* * *

Her screams were like music...

Many times he’d thought of them when she was not around; times when he was alone in his chambers, or on endless nights when he’d be stationed on the deck for patrol. Times like those never failed to get his blood surging in a somewhat uncomfortable manner for the situation. His favorite moments, however, were when he got to listen to them in person. Nothing but a thick wooden door separating him from her luxurious noises. Sometimes he wondered if The Wolf knew of his presence. Surely, he was not stupid. When a predator claims something, a level of protective nature forms, whether they realize it or not. It took time, this one did. Year after year, girl after girl, The Wolf never seemed to be satisfied. Until now.

This one seemed to understand, have a grasp of what her real purpose was. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, her first night with the crew was something he found himself reminiscing about quite frequently, among her delicious screams. The fighting, clawing, thrashing. Usual defenses for prey caught in a predator’s grasp. Odin, it was fun to watch.

She was a fighter, she was. All the more to add to her beauty. Watching her strain against the ropes binding her arms, her beautiful teeth gritted in defiance. Smooth, porcelain skin marked with bruises from fists wrapped around her biceps.

“You monsters!”

Her voice resembled a growl. Even through the messy, golden hair falling over her face, he could see her expression. Hatred. Repugnance. Hostility. But most beautifully...

Fear.

He watched the two men who guided her intently, as they made their way to The Wolf’s chambers. They seemed almost expressionless, doing their jobs as they’d been ordered. She was nothing more than a chore to be dealt with. To them anyways.

He, however, helped himself to the view. Though he was a few paces in front, he would take his time turning to look at her struggle as they walked. Several times, he made momentary eye contact with her. The green gems, still mesmerizing despite her position. The Wolf would like her, he was sure of it. He took the opportunity during one of these moments, speaking his first words directly to her, despite their lengthy journey to the ship.

“Go on, struggle.” He said coldly, looking at her over his shoulder. “It’ll only make it better for him.”

His favorite moment of the night, however, was her delivery to The Wolf. As they entered the chambers, he could hardly contain his pride at her disposal. She was led through the vast entrance, still struggling ever-so unsuccessfully. The Wolf sat patiently at the end of his bed, light, blue-grey eyes staring intently at her form. He watched her every move with intrigue, not taking so much as a blink away from the sight. It was at this point she stopped struggling, letting her body fall limp in the arms of the men restraining her. She glared at The Wolf, hair still concealing most of her face. One of the guards took the opportunity to pull her hair back aggressively, finally exposing her features. Her hatred expression was now much clearer, never faltering.

The Wolf gave little expression, but his eyes grew a bit brighter. Seconds later, The Wolf dipped his head at the young woman, giving the guards a que they knew all too well. With a swift motion, the guards used their free hands to rip off the ragged, thin dress she wore, leaving her to bare all.

She gave another scream in fear, legs tucking together in a pathetic attempt to conceal her most intimate place. Her arms strained as well, and she tried doubling over to cover her now exposed breasts. Such an action just made the situation all the more satisfactory to The Wolf. Seconds felt like an eternity, but soon enough, The Wolf gave a devilish smile, looking at the guards for one final command.

He often found himself daydreaming about the way she cried as they moved her to the bed, binding her to the wooden posts by her wrists and ankles. The last image he saw of her that night was right before The Wolf closed the door, her, laying spread eagle on his large bed. Tears streaming down her cheeks as her sobs rang through the chamber. Chest heaving, breasts moving beautifully with each breath. Her perfect, virgin pussy shaved and just waiting to be destroyed. The Wolf always had one consistency with the young women he requested. They were always virgins.

Yes, that was a night he thought about often. He’ll never forget seeing her battered form afterwards. The bruises lining her pale skin, the small pool of blood staining the sheets between her legs.

Then there was tonight. He waited patiently outside The Wolf’s chambers, guarding, as he was ordered to do so. It wasn’t unusual for The Wolf to send him in afterwards to clean up the mess. Though it was a bit below him to do such things, he was the one The Wolf trusted most. He was very protective of his property, after all. Besides, he loved doing it. Sometimes she would be passed out afterwards, which gave him the delectable opportunity to put his hands on her. Sometimes he’d play with her breasts, squeezing them and giving her perfect nipples little licks. Other times, if he was feeling more adventurous, he’d fondle her nether regions. He’d brush his fingers over her still-wet folds, occasionally sliding one into her gaping hole, dripping with fresh semen.

Tonight, she’d been very vocal. And when her screams died down, he knew they’d be finished soon. A few minutes later, The Wolf emerged, his clothes surprisingly kempt. Before he walked past, The Wolf stopped to acknowledge to him.

“You’ll need a brush for the floor,” His deep voice sounded emotionless, “She put up quite the fight.” With this, The Wolf walked away, down the dimly lit hallway and out of sight.

There were several things that could mean, usually it meant blood, but there were certainly other possibilities. Taking the detour across the ship to the supply closet only fueled his impatience. He longed to see the aftermath of her struggle, it would undoubtedly be an arousing sight. After retrieving the materials, he swiftly made his way back to the chambers. Stopping at the end of the long hallway, he reached out a scarred, bony hand to open the large door.

It wouldn’t open.

Pushing harder on the thick wood, twisting the knob more and more violently did nothing. Something was blocking the door. Part of him feared putting too much force into opening it, as it would without a doubt draw the attention of other men. But her bindings, how could she possibly…?

He ultimately decided the chances of being caught were better than the risk of something happening to her on his watch. He backed away a few steps, then ran at the door, slamming his shoulder into it with full force. Nothing. He heard no noise from inside, no footsteps, no gasps of fear. He backed away once again, and attempted slamming the door for a second time. It began to give way, but still refused to open. His tall, lithe form was certainly not ideal for this.

He heard patters of footsteps and confused voices from above, sailors no doubt making their way downstairs to see what all the noise was about. He stepped back a final time, then kicked the wooden surface with all his force. The door finally gave way, slamming open. He saw a wooden chair that had been wedged against the handle scatter to the ground a few feet away. The sight he was greeted to was one he would never forget.

She was in fact, still on the bed.

She managed to undo the ropes binding her. How? He did not know.

But there she was, motionless.

Green eyes glassy, face somehow paler than normal. Skin turning a sickening bluish color.

One end of the rope that used to bind her hands tied to the top-center of the bedpost, the other end wrapped tightly around her delicate neck...


	2. Peaceful

Astrid sat with her feet dangling off the edge of her bed, swinging them back and forth as she lost herself in thought. Her room was almost silent, the only noise emanating being the distant call of gulls she heard from outside. Such silence nearly made her ears ring. It was strange, everything being so calm. Maybe she would’ve enjoyed it a little more, if she could just get her wandering thoughts straight.

What exactly it was she was trying to focus on, she didn’t know. Maybe it was the continuous threat that faced the place they called home. Maybe it was how their sworn enemy thought necessary to put a bounty on her best friend’s head. Maybe it was how at any moment, they could be attacked, and what would be lost if their defenses failed.

 _Wow,_ she thought to herself, _that took a dark turn rather quickly._

But who could blame her for such thoughts? As Viggo and the threat of his hunters grew closer by the day, the riders were running out of things to do other than worry. In the constant chaos, people’s lives she cared for always in a state of jeopardy, it was rare that she found a moment to actually sit back and take a breath. And when she did, she hardly knew what to do with herself in the boredom.

Like right now.

She wished her nerves would let her enjoy the blissful monotony of the past few days. The fear that came with losing so much at once tends to stick even after the storm has passed. Was she being irrational? Perhaps.

But nothing struck terror into her heart like the fear of losing someone she cared about. Such a situation reminded her of when her parents’ house was destroyed due to Dagur’s fleet. Everything in her world seemed to shatter at the thought of the people who raised her being condemned to death by her enemy. The treacherous moments when she didn’t know if they were still alive or not seemed to last an eternity.

Such weights seemed to drag her down no matter how strong she wanted to appear. But she simply couldn’t help it. She was protective by nature, feeling an obligation to keep those she cared for safe. Those who always stood by her. Those who knew her, sometimes better than she knew herself. Those who would in turn lay their life down for _her_ _._

Oh Hiccup, why did he always get himself in such trouble?

Every time she turned around, he found himself in yet another death-defying situation. And every time, it scared the hell out of her. Her greatest fear, however, was that one of these days he’d find himself in a situation he wouldn’t be able to get out of.

She would never forgive herself if something happened to him.

The bounty Viggo had set on his head just one week prior, an event that still held her on edge. Hiccup had been passed around like a ragdoll amongst people who wanted to turn him in, for what? A prize? As if the life of another person could be purchased, like weapons or fish at a village market. As terrified as she’d been when her chief was moments away from killing Savage, deep down she knew she’d do the same to someone who meant such harm to Hiccup.

But, she also knew he thought the same of her. She’d be lying if she said thoughts of his protective nature didn’t give her butterflies. As tough as Astrid seemed, knowing that Hiccup would lay his life down for her made her feel safe.

It was something she’d think about often. When he pulled her out of the ocean after her first encounter with Ryker, how he cradled her in his arms when she was ailed by the Scourge of Odin. The gentle nature of his touch was something she’d think of in her more… shameful moments. She smiled, wondering how Hiccup would react if he knew she thought of him in her own erotic endeavors.

Yes, Heather was _certainly_ correct in her accusations.

Astrid didn’t know exactly when it started. Of course, she’d felt an attraction towards him ever since they’d made peace with the dragons. But that had been more of an innocent, childish crush. She remembered all the awkward moments they shared when they were with one another, being younger made all of it a little more simple.

But then, things started to change. 

As they began to fully develop into adults, her feelings took on a more… scandalous nature. She found herself staring at the boy a lot more often, admiring his now-broad shoulders, his sharp jawline, his messy, wild hair she adored so much. New definitions of muscles that bulged through his shirt when he worked in the forge. How he’d grown taller than any of the other riders over what seemed to be overnight. It was as if she woke up one day, and found herself getting aroused every time he was within arms reach. 

Not the type of arousal she’d felt when she was younger, when her developing organs gave her spews of sexual longing in fleeting moments. No, this was the type of arousal that would keep her awake at night. Furiously grinding the rough fabric of the pillow she’d stuffed between her thighs, feeling an itch deep within her that she knew would only ever be satisfied by _his_ touch. Even though she’d never penetrated herself, her body ached to be filled and defiled by his manhood.

She had to admit, her knowledge of _how_ such an act would take place was limited. Her only knowledge of sex being what she’d read in books and heard from the older women of Berk. Knowing the basics of reproduction helped as well. But pictures of naked men in tapestries and old books gave her quite the idea of what his genitals would look like. A vision that rarely failed to get her blood pumping and turn her cheeks a deep crimson. The orgasms that came from her private endeavors were quick and fleeting, always unsatisfactory, but her mind always on _him._

She hoped it would happen someday. Her thoughts instantly portrayed a beautiful picture. The two of them, lying naked together. Their bodies, basking in the release they’d given one another. Connecting on a level far greater than just physical, one that teetered on spiritual. His love for her, warming her like a fire on the coldest night. Her love for him, an everlasting gift he’d cherish forever.

Her blissful thoughts were interrupted by the powerful wind knocking against the shingles of her roof, the sharp noise echoing it’s way through her hut. She blinked a few times, as her fantasy finished dissolving into a reality she forgot she’d been in.

She gave a deep sigh, glancing out the window on the side of her room. The light gray of the sky she’d seen when putting Stormfly away had deepened to a darker, more menacing color. The storm would be here soon, she was sure of it.

The wood of her bed creaked as she slowly stood, stretching her arms and legs once she’d gotten to her feet. Before she could even take a step, she noticed something rather uncomfortable in her nether regions.

A slimy wetness seeping from her most intimate place into her panties, and it was quickly turning cold.

“Ugh,” She said to herself. “ _Seriously?_ ”

Her erotic thoughts certainly had an effect on her, without her even being the wiser. She hadn’t even noticed the blood flowing rapidly to her womanhood, the tingles in her lower abdomen, or the way her body had physically and mentally prepared her for sex.

She looked around her bed, seeing a cloth draped across one of the bedposts. She reached for it stiffly, trying carefully to keep the wetness in her panties from spreading. Pulling down her leggings and underwear just below the bottom of her skirt, she saw just how much damage she’d done to the fabric. She took the cloth and used it to wipe most of the wetness from her underwear. Then, using the dry side, wiped any remaining juice that emanated along her slit. The act tickled her delicate parts uncomfortably, seeing as she wasn’t used to feeling so aroused without properly taking care of it.

She just… didn’t think anything of the sort was worth it at the moment. After all, her arousal originated from thinking of how much Hiccup meant to her emotionally. The shame she felt after committing such acts while thinking of him was also one she was familiar with.

She sighed. Feeling lonely in her room, now growing darker as the day came to an end. She wondered what Hiccup was up to at the moment. It _was_ quite a lazy day, he was probably hard at work on one of his many projects she knew he was so passionate about...

Hiccup wasn’t sure what woke him from his unplanned slumber. Whether it was the growing winds, knocking against the wood panels of his hut, or the deep snores of the dragon that lay curled around his desk. He didn’t know. Slowly raising his head from the wooden surface, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Blinking a few times, his attention went to the door of the hut, looking to see how long he’d drifted off for. Light still bore through the cracks of the entrance, though it was dim. Hiccup looked back to the desk before him. Aside from the small light the door and cracks along the walls provided, the hut was nearly pitch black. Reaching blindly, he found the flint along the corner of the desk where he always kept it, he stood slightly from his seat, reaching just enough to strike it against the wik of the candle along the edge of the wood. After a few strikes, the desk, and anything within a considerable distance from it became illuminated.

On the surface lay a mess of maps and cartography tools. Each object started off with it’s own place on the table, an organization that quickly manifested into the scattered mess it was now. Things had a habit of doing that when Hiccup’s determination was involved. He sighed, sinking back into his seat. His eyes went to the piece of map he’d been resting his head on, the particular area being the coordinates and display of Viggo’s island. 

Hiccup shook his head. It had only been a week since the whole incident with Viggo’s bounty. The utter chaos and bloodshed that almost ensued was enough to make his heartbeat quicken with rage. Not because the man wanted him captured, likely to be killed the moment he stepped foot on his island, Hiccup was used to people wanting him dead. It was the danger such a threat posed to his fellow riders, along with the entirety of Berk. The people who needed him to be a hero, to take care of the mess he’d gotten them all into. Berk had already gone through so much due to his actions, losing all their gold had been somewhat of the nail in the coffin.

And yet, it was in moments like this where he needed to stop and remember _why_ he made the sacrifices he did. Toothless lay with his long tail curled around the boy’s desk, slumbering peacefully, emitting deep snores with each long inhale. Hiccup smiled, looking at his best friend. The dragon had been very protective of him since the bounty fiasco. Well, more protective than usual, that is. He wouldn’t seem to leave Hiccup’s side, all of Toothless’s natural independence faltering for the time being. Not that Hiccup wouldn’t do the same. Hell, not that he _hadn’t_ done the same. It could be said for the dragon, as well as for the riders. Loyalty was their number one priority, and it was something Hiccup was proud of.

Deciding to see what the riders in question were up to, Hiccup stood slowly from his seat, careful not to wake his sleeping friend. He quietly made his way to the entrance of his hut, grabbing the metallic bar and sliding the door upwards. The first thing that greeted him was the gust of seaswept wind that blew his messy hair from his face. Letting go of the door and taking a few steps out onto the wood surface, he looked west towards the sunset. Though it was mostly hidden behind gray clouds, several beams of sunlight shone through the darkness and cascaded onto the vast ocean. It was truly a marvelous view, and one that made Hiccup ever so grateful that they’d found The Edge in the first place. However, this was just one of the many reasons. He smiled, and closed his eyes. Letting his senses soak in the cool, salty breeze.

But, as many peaceful moments go when living with Vikings, it was suddenly shattered by a thunderous yell coming from below.

“What the hell is all that for?! You muttonheads think this is a vacation?!”

Hiccup instinctively rolled his eyes, recognizing the piercing voice as his cousin’s. Looking down towards Snotlout’s hut, he saw the boy standing there, looking as angry as usual. Walking towards him were the twins, followed by Barf and Belch. The siblings were carrying what looked to be a heavy wooden trunk between the two of them. 

“If you call a dangerous, death-defying, unexplored cavern a vacation,” Tuffnut started, dropping his end of the wooden trunk, causing Ruffnut to nearly fall over from its weight. “And we most certainly do, then yes!”

Ruffnut shot a glare at her brother, before turning to Snotlout with a smile. “And besides, aren’t we always the ones to come prepared?” She asked, tapping her helmet.

“Uh, no!” Snotlout began, exaggerating his movements. “You idiots never prepare for anything. What’s in the trunk, anyways? A bunch of bricks and and a stuffed boar?”

“Whoa, how’d you guess?!” Tuffnut asked enthusiastically.

“Like we discussed, bro.” Ruffnut started, crossing her arms. “That whole _wizardly_ thing, runs in the family.”

Tuffnut gasped, “You’re right. If Hiccup’s powers are hereditary, it would only make sense that Snotlout - Oh. My. Thor… This is incredible!” The male twin flailed his long arms in excitement. “Groundbreaking, historic!”

“Let’s not forget,” Ruffnut hinted. “Profitable.” She said, rubbing her fingers together. “Can you imagine how much we could market this stuff for?” This caused Tuffnut to maniacally chuckle, a devilish smile crossing his face.

Snotlout stood silently, looking back and forth between the siblings, nothing but pure confusion lining his features. “What in the Gods are you morons even talking about?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with!” Tuffnut yelled hostilely.

Ruffnut nodded, “Yeah, and keep your wizardly mind reading tricks to yourself, pal! Top secret stuff going on over here!” She said, winking at her brother. Tuffnut tried to wink back, but awkwardly failed, repeatedly blinking both eyes in his attempt. The devilish smile still stretched across his face.

Hiccup’s dumbfounded expression must have been evident.

“Don’t pay them any mind, Hiccup. Your brain will decay by the second.”

He looked to the left where the voice came from, and saw Astrid at the top of the ladder connecting the bridge from his hut to hers. Hiccup spoke as she climbed over the final step.

“In that case, I don’t know how any of us are even capable of surviving at this point.”

She laughed, stopping once she made it to his side. “You have a point there.”

He looked back to the three below, “Where are they even going with all that junk?”

“They didn’t tell you?” She asked, he looked to her with confusion. “Snotlout found a cave on the eastern side of the island, thinks it might be an extension to the Night Swarm’s cavern. When he told the twins they insisted they come along to check it out.”

“And they’re going at night because…”

She huffed, “Something about the terrors acting more primal. How that would help them? You’re asking the wrong person.” She threw her hands in confusion.

Another shout pulled their attention to the Vikings below. Somehow, in the seconds they’d been looking away, the twins managed to pin a screaming Snotlout to the ground. Ruffnut had her hands on either side of his head, shouting something about _extracting his powers._ But just as fast as it had occurred, Snotlout threw the siblings off of him, reaching up to adjust his helmet.

“Really?! Are you two insane?!” Snotlout bellowed. A deep, laughing warble interrupted him, looking to the front of his hut, he saw Hookfang’s head poking out the open door. The dragon looked far too amused at the dismay of his rider.

Hiccup sighed, ignoring the confrontation and turning back to Astrid. “When did Fishlegs say he was getting back from Berk?”

“Mmm, not till tomorrow I think.” Her expression was thoughtful, then she gave him a smile. “Looks like it’s just you and me tonight.”

He smiled in return, then had a thought. “What about patrol?”

Almost on cue, the pair heard a roar of thunder from the distance. They looked upwards, staring at what was now a sky beginning to swirl with black. A storm was definitely underway.

“Well, we could take shifts.” She then gave him a tempting look. “Or, I could run to the clubhouse and get us dinner to eat in your hut while we work on that map of yours.”

He smirked at her, “You sure?”

“As official Storm Warden, I’m ordering you to a night in.” She said, putting her hands on her hips in dominance.

“Alright then, you win.” He replied, putting his hands up in defeat.

“Hate to break it to you, but I normally do.”

He was about to respond, but was cut off by a giant dragon head snaking its way between the two Vikings. 

“Well, hey there Bud.” Hiccup started, rubbing the dragon’s scaly head. “Have a nice nap?”

Toothless cooed at the pair, as if to say, ‘You forgot me!’

Astrid laughed, “Don’t worry, Toothless. I’ll bring you back some fresh trout.” She said, scratching the dragon beneath his chin, causing the creature to give a blissful, gummy smile as he leaned into her. She gave him one last pat on the head before walking in the direction of the clubhouse. “Be back soon.”

“What about Stormfly?” Hiccup asked as she walked away.

“Put her in the stables for the night,” She responded, looking over her shoulder. “You know how she gets when it storms.”

As she finally made it out of earshot, Hiccup realized he’d been staring only after the sound of Hookfang, and Barf and Belch taking off snapped him to reality. The enthusiastic yelling of the twins boomed almost louder than the distant thunder, Barf and Belch carrying the large wood trunk as they flew. Snotlout and Hookfang were a few seconds behind them, the pair momentarily stopping in front of Hiccup’s hut. The large, flapping wings of the dragon sent waves of cold wind over the boy and his dragon. He put an arm up to block it from his face, Toothless did the same with his wing.

“If I never come back,” Snotlout said, giving Hiccup an irritated glare. “Blame those muttonheads!” He pointed towards the direction of the howling siblings, before taking off after them, destined for the east side of the island.

Hiccup shook his head, turning on his heel to walk back into his home, Toothless no more than a few paces behind his rider the whole time.

Astrid had arrived at his hut mere minutes before the light patter of rain turned into a complete downpour. With her, a basket of yak chops and a pail full of river trout. Over the course of a couple hours, they’d plotted coordinates, discussed battle strategies benefitting their conditions against Viggo, even mapped the distance to a new island Astrid discovered a few days prior. But alas, their official business spiraled into a humorous conversation, as it usually did when the two were alone.

He sat in the same seat he’d fallen asleep in earlier, while Astrid had claimed a stool along the side of the large desk. Both had what were now near-empty cups of ale. The completely relaxed atmosphere was something Hiccup had grown to cherish. Coincidently, these moments seemed to occur most often when he was with Astrid. At the moment, her head was tipped back in laughter, eyes closed and a huge smile across her face. The candlelight shimmering off her golden hair in a divine manner. In moments like these, Hiccup’s sense of time seemed to completely halt, awestruck that the girl before him was someone he was so close to. Though, quite a huge part of him wished that someday they could be _much_ closer.

She contained her laughter just long enough to finally speak.

“Wait wait wait, so let me get this straight-” She said breathily, wiping a small tear from her eye. “You’re Dad walked in, and saw you-?”

“Reading a chapter on dragon mating rituals.” Hiccup finished, dropping his head in his hands from embarrassment. Her cackling at him resumed. He gave her a stern, but playful look. “It wouldn’t have been so bad if there weren’t _detailed_ drawings all over the page.”

“Oh my gods, Hiccup.” She said, trying to contain her laughter. “I didn’t realize _that’s_ what you were into.”

He rolled his eyes, cheeks turning a light shade of red at her comment. As embarrassing as it could be, he loved making her laugh. It was especially easy when she’d been drinking, so he’d learned. He remained quiet as she finished her laughing fit. She picked up her cup and finished off the remaining liquid inside.

“Well, it’s late.” Hiccup said as she set her now-empty tankard back on the table. “Wanna call it a night?”

She yawned, stretching out her arms. “Already?”

“Already? You look like you’re about to pass out.”

She smirked at him, before resting her elbow on the table, supporting her head with her fist. “I would think you’d be the tired one. How many weeks now have you been obsessing over locating Viggo?”

“Well, him putting a bounty on my head didn’t help anything.”

She was quiet for a bit, her playful demeanor faltering. Giving a half-hearted chuckle, she spoke, “You have no idea how much we were all worried about you.” Her gaze directed at the tabletop. “How much _I_ was worried about you.”

He gave her a sad smile. Looking at her free hand that rested on the desk, he covered it with his own.

“Can’t say I wouldn’t be the same way if something happened to you.”

They locked eyes, sharing an almost telepathic connection. Four years ago, Hiccup would’ve fallen over dead with fear if he was this close to Astrid Hofferson. If he had to admit, a part of him still felt nervous when he was with her like this. But it was a different kind of nervousness. It wasn’t fear of her completely hating him, it was fear that she would never feel the same way about him that he does of her.

He tried pushing such thoughts aside as she smiled at him, removing her hand from under his in order to cross her arms on the tabletop to make a pillow. She rested her head, eyes still looking deep into his. He returned the smile as her eyes closed, his face being the last thing she saw before swiftly drifting off.

Hiccup chuckled to himself, she could fall asleep nearly anywhere if she’d been drinking. It only took a minute before he could tell she’d gone completely under. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there staring at her sleeping form. _Probably too long to avoid being creepy_ , he thought. He pulled himself from her trance, then actually acknowledged their situation.

He couldn’t possibly leave her to sleep there, could he? He turned to look at the thin door of his hut. It rattled against the strong wind, the sound of heavy rainfall battered his roof with reckless abandon. They were definitely in the brunt of the storm.

Looking back to the sleeping girl, he knew taking her back to her hut wasn’t an option. He didn’t want her sleeping on the hard wooden desk either, his neck still craned from doing so earlier in the day.

Seeing only one option left, he stood from his chair carefully, attempting to be as quiet as possible. It wasn’t a hard task, the rainfall would likely soften any noise he made within the building. He walked to her side of the desk, trying to figure out the best way of going about his actions.

Gently, he grabbed her shoulders and leaned her upright, causing her slumbering form to go limp, her head drooping towards her chest. He snaked his right arm around her back, using the other to slide behind her knees. Carefully, he lifted her from her seat, grunting slightly at her dead weight. Though, once he was in motion she became quite easy to carry, her scrawny form sinking deep into his arms.

He made his way to the steps leading upstairs, passing his slumbering dragon on the way. Steadily climbing the stairs was tricky, he constantly had to shift the weight on his bad leg to keep the sleeping girl from any distress. Once he reached the top, he walked quickly but carefully through the darkness to his bed.

Using his left hand, he pulled the covers back from the bed’s surface, then gently set her atop of it. Making sure her head was supported on the pillow, he spread the blanket over her sleeping form. She momentarily shifted, turning on her side and curling in on the warm covers.

A loving feeling spread through Hiccup’s chest as he looked at her, he turned, wondering exactly what she’d be thinking when she wakes up. He quickly glanced around the floor, making sure there wasn’t anything in her way if she were to wake up. He spotted the crossbow he’d been tinkering with on the ground beside the bed, thrown aside from this morning. He quietly picked up the weapon and set it on a table against the wall.

Taking one last look at her sleeping form, he smiled. Making it to the bottom of the steps, he looked to the candles illuminated on his desk, the only source of light in the hut. He decided to keep them lit, in case Astrid woke and was confused of her location.

Walking to his sleeping dragon, he shook the creature’s wing abruptly, causing Toothless to groan and open a questioning eye to his rider.

“Make room, Bud.”

The dragon groaned one more, sounding impatient this time, but ultimately rolled over on his side. Making space for Hiccup, who knelt down to lean back against his friend.

Hiccup settled himself against the dragon until he was comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you could be sleeping on the ground. Such positions reminded him of early explorations with the riders, this typically being how they slept with their dragons while on the move.

Within a few minutes, the heavy snores of the dragon sounded beneath him, and he was left with the peaceful sound of rainfall, knowing that Astrid slept soundly upstairs. Putting his mind at ease, allowing him to relax fully.

He took advantage of his final moments of consciousness, using them to think of how excited he’d be to greet her in the morning.

Hiccup shivered as he awoke, feeling a sudden rush of cold air and a sharp squeaking sound that pierced through his ears. He expected to open his eyes and see the faint rays of dawn peeking through the cracks of his door. He expected to hear the distant sounds of seagulls calling to one another, and feel the heavy, humid air that always made itself present after a fierce rainstorm like the night prior.

But upon actually opening his eyes, he realized the night was not yet over at all.

The candle he’d left lit had since burned out, leaving his hut in a state of pure darkness, and he could hear the rain as it continued to downpour outside. He sat upwards, off of Toothless, and rubbed his arms in an attempt to gain warmth. The temperature had dropped, surely. But he wondered where the sudden draft and sharp noise had come from.

Maybe it was the wind picking up due to the storm, squeezing it’s way into the cocoon of his hut. It could’ve knocked over some of his smithing equipment outside, causing the noise.

Toothless continued to slumber beside him, whatever waking Hiccup clearly not affecting the dragon. Hiccup stood, stretching his back and arms as he got to his feet. For a moment he was silent, listening closely for any noises coming from the upper floor. Nothing.

A thought came to him then, realizing the squeak he’d heard sounded awfully similar to the one his door would make when opened. The cold air he’d felt, had it come from someone opening the door? From… Astrid opening the door?

Even with absolutely no evidence this had even happened, he began to shame himself. Why hadn’t he just woken her after she fell asleep? Did she wake and realize she was in his bed? Did she really grit and bare the rainfall just to get back to her hut?

Was he overthinking it? Probably, but he had to know.

He navigated his way to the desk by memory alone, the darkness stealing any visual indicators of where he was. Putting his hands out as he haphazardly stepped, he eventually felt the cold wood on the edge of his fingertips. Feeling his way to the front of the desk, he reached into the corner where the flint was kept. Picking up the stone and igniter with one hand, he slid the candle to the front-center of the desk with his other. Being as careful as he could while aiming the tool, he struck the stone.

It illuminated the space around him for a mere second, before dying out. But, this gave him a better idea of where everything was. Striking again, he missed once more. He tried for a third time, getting as close to the wick as he could without burning himself. This time, the candle ignited.

His vision was finally restored. He saw, on the desk before him, the map he and Astrid had been working on just a few hours prior. He saw the remains of the dinner they’d eaten, portions strewn about across the wooden surface. He saw Toothless, out of the corner of his eye, the slumbering dragon splayed out on the floor, looking cozy and at home.

What he did not see, was the mountainous man standing directly behind him.


	3. Dead of Night

Before Hiccup could even blink, a meaty hand reached around and grabbed his lower face, covering his mouth. Fear struck his heart as he gasped, his breathing muffled by the flesh of whoever was behind him. Hiccup began to reach for the hand covering his mouth, but was caught by an arm snaking around his middle, pinning his arms to his sides.

What happened next took place over a mere few seconds, but felt like forever to the poor boy caught in this horrible trap. Hiccup strained against the colossal man, screaming into the palm of his hand. He was pulled backwards a few steps, feet stomping in an attempt to wake the sleeping dragon just a few feet away. Though Hiccup could hardly register anything at the moment, he thought he heard Toothless huff, the sound his friend would always make when awoken from a deep sleep.

The man squeezed his middle tightly at this, sucking all the air from the boy’s lungs. Hiccup continued to gasp as his ability to breathe was robbed, his organs screaming and ribs popping at the man’s force. Hiccup’s eyes went wild as the sounds around him finally caught up to his brain.

Heavy footsteps to his left. The sound of a dragon’s ferocious growls. Toothless roaring. A man shouting in pain.

“THE TRANQUILIZER YOU IMBECILE!”

More scuffling. The screech of Toothless initiating a plasma blast. The sound of something sharp piercing thick flesh. A dragon’s wail of distress…

Hiccup was finally dragged far enough from the desk to view the scene before him. Several men dressed in dark armor stood around Toothless. Each had metallic helmets that covered their lower faces, leaving their eyes exposed.

One of the men held the end of a spear-like object with red rings circling the ends, the sharp end stuck through the scales on his friend’s neck.

Hiccup let out a muffled cry at the sight, he watched Toothless’s movements go unsteady. The dragon’s pupils dilated, before he collapsed all together. The man holding the tranquilizer spear ripped it out of the creature, chuckling softly as he looked at what he’d done.

The men, who Hiccup assumed were hunters, suddenly became quiet for the first time since they’d made their presence known. The one holding him still gripped his middle tightly, making his vision grow foggy from lack of oxygen. Hiccup counted four of them that he could see, including the one restraining him. The other three stood around Toothless’s limp body, looking intently at the beast.

Finally, the one restraining him spoke, “Well don’t just stand there, start with the bindings!”

His gravelly voice was full of irritance, but the hunters obliged. One moved to a leather bag that looked as if it’d been tossed to the ground in a hurry, the contents partially spilled out. As the hunter grabbed ropes and a few pieces of cloth from the floor, the other hunters began fidgeting with something else contained in the bag, though Hiccup could hardly see, he thought he’d heard the sounds of chains clinking.

The hunter that carried the rope walked towards Hiccup, and with a nod of his head towards the one restraining him, Hiccup’s lungs were finally able to receive air as the man loosened his grip. He inhaled sharply, feeling relieved as his vision became less cloudy. But his relief would soon evaporate as the men grabbed his shoulders and slammed him to the ground.

Landing on his chest, the hunters gripped his wrists forcefully behind his back, one of the men binding them tightly together with the ropes. He felt an armored knee dig painfully into his spine. Hiccup strained against the action as much as he possibly could, but it was to no avail. He opened his mouth and gave an ear-splitting yell of frustration.

His attempt was met with a hand firmly gripping his hair, only to have his head slammed violently into the ground. His cheekbone took most of the impact, he winced, feeling the nasty bruise already forming. He groaned in pain.

“Shut him up!” Hiccup heard one of them command. The back of his skull was grabbed once again, he tensed, expecting another blow to the face. But instead, a dirty cloth was shoved into his mouth. He gagged on the fabric as another, more narrow piece was wrapped over his mouth and tied off behind his head.

As they finished with his wrists, they began the same motions around his knees. After leaving him entirely bound, they finally let him go. Leaving him face down on the floor. Hiccup took the opportunity to flip over and use his bound legs to scoot away from his attackers, well, as much as he could anyways. This finally gave him an unfiltered view of what exactly was happening.

In the dim candlelight, four hunters stood within the room. All were dressed in uniforms Hiccup had never seen. They certainly didn’t look like Viggo’s men, his mind suddenly went to the bounty, and he wondered if they were here on the thought that it was still active. Though, he didn’t have much time to think about it.

Two of the men stood around Toothless’s lifeless form, though it was hard to see with such little lighting, Hiccup heard the sound of chains rattling once again from their side of the room. The men were undoubtedly chaining the creature up. He was able to make out one of them slipping a leather muzzle on the dragon’s snout, hindering any plans of escape.

The other two men stood just a few feet in front of Hiccup, though he could only see portions of their face, he saw them looking down at him with pride in their eyes. As if they’d just accomplished something very important. He glared at the hunters, trying his best to appear stoic even in his vulnerable position.

One of them men before him turned his head in the direction of the dragon, “Are you idiots finished yet?”

“He’s locked up tight,” One responded, pulling on the chains to test their security. “Won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Excellent.” The man responded, looking back to Hiccup. He was the largest of the men, towering over the one beside him by at least a foot. Hiccup guessed that this man was the one who overpowered him at the desk.

“We need to get him out of here before the tranquilizer wears off.” One of the men said on the opposite end of the room said, gesturing to the sleeping dragon. “We should have at least two hours.”

“We’ll need to move quickly then, won’t we?” The large one responded, not breaking his eye contact with Hiccup, who glared at him with even more fire than before.

Like a cornered animal, Hiccup’s mind started racing, as the smaller man turned and began moving towards his dragon, the mountainous one continued to stare him up and down. Like a predator sizing up his latest prey. He tried to think of anything that could help him in the situation he was in. He had little access to his weapons from his place on the floor. Toothless was incapacitated, the chains and muzzle restricting him even if he woke. The bindings on his wrists and legs would hinder any form of attack. Astrid was… 

_Astrid!_

Out of nowhere, Hiccup felt a hot, sticky liquid splatter across his face. He instinctively shut his eyes and flinched at the sensation, but upon opening them again, he was left blinking in shock at the sight before him.

The mountainous man that had lingered in front of him stood entirely still, only beginning to sway clumsily after a few moments. An arrow protruded from the side of his neck, going all the way through and out the opposite side. Blood spurted from the wound, and Hiccup heard the sickening sounds of the man choking on his own blood. Within seconds, the large man had collapsed on his side, spraying the floor around him with red, leaving the others that surrounded Toothless to gape at their fellow soldier.

“ _What in Thor’s name?!_ ”

Hiccup’s eyes shot upward towards the edge of the loft, just in time to see a blonde figure rolling back out of view.

The hunters looked in the same direction, studying the space for movement that none of them could see.

“Don’t just stand there! Get the crossbow!” One yelled, causing another to run across the room to attain a barren crossbow Hiccup had failed to notice before. The man reached down to grab the weapon in great haste, turning swiftly to load it with an arrow. Before he could even draw the bow, the sound of another arrow whizzing from above shot through the hut. With impeccable precision, the object speared through the opening of his helmet and directly into his eye. Hiccup watched in relief and horror as the crossbow the hunter was holding cluttered to the ground, the man himself following suit.

He then heard the recognizable sound of a jamming crossbow from above.

“ _Shit!_ ” The men heard from the loft, quiet, but audible.

“Who the hell is up there?!”

“The stairs! Go up the stairs!”

Hiccup looked to see the two remaining hunters scattering in confusion. One ducked behind a pillar next to Toothless, the other grabbed an unused chain as a desperate attempt for a weapon, and carefully moved towards the base of the wood stairs.

Hiccup looked hard at the top of the loft once again, but saw no sign of Astrid. His search was interrupted by the sound of footsteps pattering his way. Upon inspection, he saw the hunter that had been hiding behind the pillar running towards him, most likely to attain the fallen crossbow. But the maneuver left him out in the open.

A deafening battle cry echoed off the walls of the hut, Hiccup and the hunter glanced upwards to see Astrid vaulting off the edge of the loft. An arrow locked in a death grip in her hands above her head. She was aiming for the hunter, a second away from piercing his scull with the object as she fell through the air. The man suddenly cowered, having absolutely no time to save himself.

But the girl didn’t make it.

A chain was swiftly wrapped around her middle when she was a mere foot from her target, pulling her backwards abruptly and sending her body thudding to the floor. The hunter that had been heading for the steps managed to pull her away just in time.

Time seemed to stand still as Hiccup watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Left to do nothing but uselessly pull at his bindings.

Astrid jumped up from the floor, grabbing hold of the chain that bound her and throwing it at one of the hunters with an animalistic snare. It clattered against his metal helmet, sending him backwards in shock. She took the opportunity to send a spiraling kick backwards, hitting the other man that had been approaching her from behind.

The move sent him to the floor, and she was left with the other. Recovering from the chain and coming at her with full force. After dodging a few hits, she managed to land a brutal punch to his side, making him bend over in pain. At this, she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the face. Spinning his helmet almost comically and causing the man to fall once more.

She hastily searched the ground for the arrow she’d dropped on the way down, finding it a mere few feet away. Diving across the floor to avoid any potential blows, she grasped it firmly and returned to the fallen hunter. He’d finished adjusting his helmet just in time to see her standing over his body, arrow secured in her fists above her head once again. With a fierce yell from the girl, he watched in terror as she moved to bring it down to pierce his body.

She never made it. Hiccup screamed her name best he could through the gag, but it was too late.

The hunter behind suddenly brought one of the wooden stools from Hiccup’s desk down over her head, cracking it against the back of her skull with such force the wooden legs broke and scattered across the ground.

The girl fell, arrow still in hand as her limp body slammed against the floor. Though the light was dim, Hiccup could see a small pool of blood forming around her golden hair.

Fear gripped his heart.

“ _NO!_ ” He screamed through the gag, straining against the bindings so hard he felt one of his wrists pop under the pressure. He’d managed to shuffle around to his side, awkwardly trying to scoot closer to his fallen friend. But the ties on his feet and legs made it nearly impossible.

The downed hunter managed to get to his feet, panting heavily as he stared at the now incapacitated girl. Both men looked her up and down, then glanced around the bloody room, eyeing their dead partners.

The one Astrid had nearly killed suddenly removed his helmet, revealing a mess of flaming red hair and black warpaint across one of his eyes. Hiccup studied the man’s face intently, seeing nothing but shock as the hunter took in the situation they were now in.

Soon enough, the shock turned into vicious rage. The man gritted his teeth, then slammed the metallic helmet on the ground with all his force.

“ _FUCK!_ ” He screamed as the object hit. Hiccup could see the muscles of his arms flexing in anger. The hunter then turned to look at the girl on the wood floor once again, face contorting to one of disgust and rage.

“STUPID CUNT!” He yelled, kicking his steel-toed boot into her exposed rib cage.

Hiccup cried out as he watched the boot make contact, but Astrid didn’t flinch. She was clearly still very, _very_ unconscious.

“What are we supposed to do now?” The masked hunter suddenly asked, still grasping a portion of the broken stool in his hands.

The other man shook his head as he turned to eye the bound dragon. “We can’t wheel him out of here with just the two of us.”

“But Krogan said-”

“I know damn well what Krogan said!”

The red-haired hunter took a moment to catch his breath, then turned to look back at Hiccup.

“We take the boy, just like we planned. Leave the dragon and send more men for it when we get back.”

The masked hunter threw the remaining piece of the stool aside, his eyes flickering across Astrid’s unconscious form, then to the lifeless bodies of their fallen partners.

“What about the girl? And the others...” He asked hesitantly.

There was a drawn out pause.

“Leave them,” He eventually said, glancing over his shoulder at the bodies, before his eyes fell to Astrid. “Oh _Thor_ I’d like to drive a spear through her skull… but Krogan said to take any riders alive.” He looked to the masked hunter intently. “We bring her too.”

“By the graces of the gods... I hope you’re right about this.”

“I am, now get moving.”

With that, the red-haired hunter picked up his helmet and placed it back on his head, sounding confident with his decision, but a shred of fear was unmistakably present.

Hiccup watched as the man then started making his way towards him, the boy was left with nothing to do but uselessly attempt to scoot away. While this happened, Hiccup saw the other hunter pick up Astrid’s limp form, slinging her over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of flour.

Hiccup gritted his teeth over the cloth in his mouth as the same was done to him, the red-haired hunter throwing him over his shoulder like he was practically weightless. His upper-body was left to dangle awkwardly over the man’s back, all the blood rushing to his head, making the wound on his cheekbone sting even more. The hunter started for the door of the hut.

No matter how hard he thrashed, the bindings stood firm on his wrists and legs. Lifting his head slightly to see behind them, he saw the other man carrying Astrid just a few feet away. He saw the dead bodies of the two fallen hunters, their blood staining the wood floor beneath. He saw Toothless, still out cold from the tranquilizer, chained, muzzled, and bound all over. Hiccup suddenly wished dearly that his friend would open his eyes. Just so he could have some form of contact with the dragon before he and Astrid were whisked away like they were nothing.

But the dragon’s eyes never opened. And when the door of the hut slid upwards, the wind of the storm blew out the single candle that illuminated his home. And he was left with nothing but stormy darkness as they were stolen in the dead of night.

The feeling of helplessness is not one that Hiccup has become accustomed to.

Sure, he had gotten himself into a vast array of predicaments throughout his life, going far back before Vikings and dragons even proclaimed peace. But there was always a way out. There was always a light in the darkness.

Most of the time it was his friends. His team. They never failed to be there when one of their own was in need. Be it for anything, they would come to aid at the first sign of trouble.

Sometimes it was his father. Looking past his serious demeanor and intimidating position as Chief of berk, he was always there for his people. For anyone in need. If he had taught Hiccup anything, it had certainly been that. A Chief protects his own.

But more than any other, it was Toothless. His best friend who had bailed him out of countless situations. The fact alone that a fire-breathing reptile could be capable of such protective nature towards a human was impressive enough on its own. But he was one that Hiccup could _always_ trust. If his rider was in trouble, the dragon would give his life to keep him from harm, it was just in his nature.

But in this moment, on this fateful night, help would not come for them.

It was almost too perfect for the hunters. No riders around for miles. Any dragons either locked away in the stables or brutally incapacitated. The storm and night brought them limitless cover in their endeavors. And Hiccup was left to accept the situation he had found himself in.

The very, very _hopeless_ situation.

His entire body was soaked within a matter of seconds being outside. The rain poured heavily and the winds were deafening in his ears. He saw almost nothing as he was carried down the wooden platforms of The Edge, as the hunters swiftly made their way towards the southwestern beach. It was so dark, Hiccup was convinced the men were making their way off the island solely by the occasional flashes of lightning that would illuminate their surroundings for a mere half-second.

The thought was far better than the alternative. Which would be that the hunters had been watching their home for Thor-knows how long. Memorizing the paths to the best of their ability, preparing for this night.

But that was the least of his concern at the moment.

The red-haired hunter was certainly not gentle with him, the grip on his body tight and the man’s movements erratic as he fought to get to their destination. The descent and heavy rainfall made for slippery ground and uneven soil, and Hiccup’s stomach would dig painfully into the man’s metal spaulders with each step.

He was constantly fighting to catch a glimpse of Astrid and the other hunter. Eyes scanning the area behind them each time there was an illuminating lightning strike. He could swear they were still there, but being partially upside down made all the water that fell on his back cascade to his face. Coursing over his eyes and rendering his sight even more useless than it already had been.

After what seemed like forever, he noticed that they’d made it to a sandy terrain. Most likely the beach that the hunters were docked in. He heard the roar of water hitting the ocean surface getting closer and closer, and after the red-haired hunter took a few unsteady steps onto something elevated, Hiccup was thrown down onto a hard, wet surface.

Blinking the water from his eyes, he was met with the same darkness as before. The only sensation he felt was the cold rain pelting his soaked body, and a sudden weight being dropped directly beside him.

A flash of lightning suddenly greeted the group. And Hiccup was left with a fraction of a second to survey his surroundings.

They were on a wooden dinghy, a large one, more than enough room to fit a Night Fury. The two hunters were pulling what appeared to be a ramp onto the boat, tossing it to the floor where it wouldn’t be in the way. Beside him, Astrid’s limp body lay pressed against his side. Still very unconscious. Unbound, but unconscious.

Then the darkness fell once more, heavy, like the rainfall as it continued to pelt his soaking body. But through it he could hear the sound of scuffling footsteps on the floor of the dinghy, and moments later his weight was shifted as the boat was suddenly pushed into the fierce waves.

The thunderstorm raged on as they made their way out to sea, if the boat had been any smaller, it would’ve no doubt capsized within seconds of being in the water. The quartet were knocked about endlessly as the waves crashed against the side of the wooden boat, much of the water spilling over the side and pooling at the bottom. The hunters stayed mainly silent as they started off, but the occasional curse and yell of frustration could be heard as they desperately pattled further out to sea.

Eventually, Hiccup noticed a small flicker of light out of the corner of his eye. Just barely able to see over the side of the boat, he saw what appeared to be the illuminous outline of a vast ship.

As they got closer, the utter size of the vessel came into view under the vicious cracks of lightning that flashed across the sky. Any insignia or sign of familiarity was impossible to identify through the rain and darkness.

Soon enough, they had reached the edge of the ship. Voices yelling from the upper decks echoed over the side of the vessel and through the thunderous rainfall. The two hunters in the dinghy began shouting as well.

“HOLD THE HOOKS! WE’RE USING THE NETS!”

Hiccup winced as he was once again picked up and held tightly over the red-haired hunter’s shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other hunter pick up Astrid’s limp body as well. But before he could observe anything too closely, the hunter carrying him stepped to the edge of the swaying dinghy and carefully grabbed hold of a cargo net lining the ship’s side.

Hiccup’s stomach dropped as they began ascending to the top deck, and if anything, he was a little impressed that the hunter was able to climb with just one available arm. But watching the sea become further and further away as they ascended was beyond fear-inducing. The rain was still falling, cascading down his face and over his eyes once more. But the added angle of the climb was causing a significant amount of water to rush into his nose, which due to the cloth in his mouth, was his only source of breath. He started choking through the gag, praying that whatever horror this ship was likely to bring them, they would simply get there already and get it over with.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before they’d reached the top of the vessel. The voices of the crew above grew especially loud, but it was impossible to make out what they were saying. Just as they’d crested the wooden side, Hiccup inhaled sharply as he was suddenly pulled from the hunter’s shoulder by a foreign pair of meaty hands.

He screwed his eyes shut as he was viciously thrown onto the wooden deck, upon opening them, the light of various lanterns and torches held by crew members illuminated his vision clearly for the first time since they’d left his hut.

Circling his body was an entire crew of men, all dressed similarly to the hunters who’d taken them. Most wore the metallic helmets, but some were void of them completely. Revealing a sea of hostile faces looking down at him like he was a piece of meat.

He was only able to look at them for a moment before the shouting started.

“Where the hell are Lars and Troutbreath?!”

“Fuck them! Where’s the Night Fury?!”

“What good is the boy without the dragon?!”

“When Krogan sees this, we’re all fucked!”

The red-haired hunter had finally managed to step over the siding and onto the wood deck, he was panting heavily as the group that surrounded Hiccup acknowledged him.

“Lars and Troutbreath are dead.” He remarked in anger, causing a wave of gasps and murmuring among crew members. Just as this happened, the hunter carrying Astrid finally crested the side of the ship as well, before he could fully reach the top, the red-haired hunter grabbed her by the braid, and threw her body onto the deck as well. Hiccup strained against his binds as she landed just a few feet away from him. The man stared at her body in rage. “This little bitch killed them where they stood!”

A new wave of murmurs came from the crowd, but the tone was very different than before. Voices began shouting from every direction.

“You let some little girl slaughter two grown men?!”

“We should’ve sent more in for the job!”

“Krogan wanted it to be a stealth mission you idiot!”

“And look where that got us! I’d have fucked her up before she could try anything!”

“I’d fuck her up right now if you’d let me!”

“Gods, you see that blow on her head? She’s probably dead!”

“So what? At least she won’t fight back!”

“Pretty little thing, she is. If Krogan says she’s useless, we’ll all have a go at her!”

Rage burned through Hiccup’s veins at their comments, but he was left with nothing to do but glare at the group of men surrounding them. He was certainly in no position to appear threatening.

“MAKE WAY!”

A hunter’s voice from the back of the crowd suddenly shouted, silencing the crude comments at once. From where Hiccup lay, he noticed the sound of shuffling boots growing closer to the front of the crew. The crowd was then splitting down the center, just as the hunter who’d carried Astrid finally got his footing on the deck of the ship from over the side. He stood by the red-haired hunter, looking panicked as the crowd finished parting to reveal a tall, cloaked figure moving towards the center of the commotion.

Hiccup looked this figure up and down, the shape of the man looking terribly familiar, but the limited lighting making him impossible to place.

“Krogan!” The red-haired hunter finally spoke, clasping his hands behind his back. “We’re back from the mission,” He looked both grimly and angrily at the pair of dragon riders. “It… didn’t go as planned.”

The figure stood there, still as a statue, before closing the distance between Hiccup and himself. He knelt down suddenly, and Hiccup was left to look at the shadowy face of the hooded man, glaring at where his eyes would be.

But as the man reached upwards and unhooded himself, Hiccup’s glare faltered. And he was left to stare directly into the deep brown eyes of the bounty hunter he’d encountered just a week prior.

Krogan’s eyes were full of amusement at the boy’s reaction, but his intense gaze never faltered.

“Remember me?” His deep voice sounded, chilling Hiccup to the bone.

Krogan’s eyes suddenly went from Hiccup’s face, to Astrid’s lifeless form just a few feet away. The man stood, looking down at the pair intently.

The silence that fell was extremely heavy, and it was easy to decipher the panic in the red-haired hunter’s voice.

“The girl killed our two others in the boy’s hut.” He explained quickly, nervously. “We were able to tranquilize the Night Fury, but… we couldn’t wheel him out with just the two of us.”

Krogan’s expressionless eyes then flickered between the two hunters who stood by the side of the ship. When he didn’t respond, the other hunter joined in.

“But… the dragon is chained up and ready! We left the cart there and everything, we just need to go back for him with more men. The storm will keep us covered!”

It was as if the gods themselves were listening in, because the moment the hunter concluded, the rain began to lighten, clouds in the distance subtly parting to reveal the dim twilight of morning on the way.

The tension between the men and their leader was palpable, but Krogan remained expressionless as he stepped over Hiccup and slowly approached the two men.

The same hunter stammered on, “We… we can complete the mission before any other riders notice…” Krogan continued his approach, reaching for something beneath his cloak. “I-If we leave now we can still-”

Hiccup watched in horror as Krogan suddenly unsheathed a sword, a split second passing before the object was driven upwards, sliding underneath the man’s helmet and piercing through his skull, ending the man’s life in one swift motion.

The red-haired hunter stumbled backwards, wide eyed as blood poured from his partner’s helmet, painting the wooden deck beneath. An awful gushing noise sounded as Krogan removed the sword, leaving the hunter’s body to thud lifelessly to the ground.

Krogan remained expressionless as he then looked from the dead hunter to the red-haired one. The hunter suddenly removed his helmet and quickly tossed it aside, falling to his knees on the wood floor.

“Please, Krogan…” He pleaded, his eyes nearly welling with tears. “Please give me another chance, I won’t disappoint you again! I swear it!”

Krogan stepped towards him, stopping when he was directly in front of the man. The sword he held still dripping with the hunter’s blood.

“Please!” The red-haired hunter begged on.

Krogan looked down at the man, evil behind his dark eyes.

“Alright.” The leader said simply, hops arising in the hunter’s watery eyes. “You want a chance? I’ll give it to you.” Krogan’s gaze went from the man in front of him to the distant shoreline, much easier to view as the rain had almost completely faltered. “If you can make it to shore alive, you’re free to go.”

The red-haired hunter smiled graciously, “Oh, thank you Krogan! Thank you!”

“Hold out your arms.”

The hunter’s smile faltered, a mixture of fear and confusion lining his features. Slowly, he did as he was told, raising his shaky arms out in front of him.

Krogan eyed him indifferently, then stepped beside the man. In a quick motion, he took the bloodied sword and swung downwards, slicing through the man’s biceps like yak butter. The red-haired hunter’s screams echoed across the deck, and the crew watched helplessly as the man’s severed arms fell to the ground, blood spurting from his fresh stumps.

In a matter of seconds, Krogan had hauled the man by the back of his armor, pushing him over the side of the ship. His horrific screams were replaced by the sound of a loud splash. Then, silence fell over the deck like the night itself.

Hiccup stared on in shock, witnessing the entire event from his vulnerable position on the wooden floor. His eyes went to Astrid, who was still unconscious. He became suddenly grateful that she was, he didn’t want her to have to experience any of this.

Then again, she did just kill two men herself. She’d probably take it a lot better than he had.

Krogan nonchalantly wiped the blood from his sword onto his cloak, taking a few steps back toward the crew and pair of riders as he did so.

“Let this be a lesson,” He started, finally sheathing his weapon. His eyes flickered across the crew of men. “To never fail my orders. Ever.” He spoke firmly, boots heavy on the deck as he paced. “If you are to be ready for the things I have planned, success is vital. And I will not stand for failure. You complete the mission I give you, you take orders as I say. You will meet Odin himself before you fail me, is that clear?”

The crowd exclaimed their agreement as Krogan finished pacing, stopping directly before the two riders.

“Good.” He concluded, looking down at the pair, meeting Hiccup’s wide eyes. “Take them below deck, throw them in a cell. The chamber will be guarded at all hours until I give further instruction. We sail out immediately.”

With that, Krogan began walking away, the crowd parting once more as he went back in the direction he emerged from. A small voice sounded from the crew as he passed.

“What about the Night Fury?”

Krogan stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the source of the voice. The outspoken hunter cowered as he was suddenly face to face with the deadly leader.

“Are you questioning my orders?”

“N-No, Krogan.” He stammered, almost incoherently “Of course not, Krogan.”

Krogan glared at the man for another few moments, before slowly turning and continuing on his path. Disappearing behind the crew at once.

Within seconds, Hiccup was lifted from the ground once more. He grunted, getting very tired of being thrown around like a ragdoll. As he was carried away, he fought to catch a glimpse at the now-visible insignia of the sail. It was one he didn’t recognize, and he dismissed any idea that Viggo and Ryker were behind the abduction.

But if _they_ weren’t, where were they being taken?

The dim twilight of morning disappeared as he was carried below deck, nothing but torchlight to guide them as they descended into the belly of the ship. Eventually, they came to a musty corridor, cells lining the walls through the narrow passageway. As they approached one of the doors, Hiccup silently prayed that they would undo his bindings before tossing him in. But he wasn’t so lucky.

The cell door screeched as it was opened, and Hiccup was thrown to the ground inside. Moments later, another man entered carrying Astrid, looking down at her with hesitation.

“Should we tie her up?”

The other man scoffed, “She’s been out this whole time, don’t think she poses much of a threat anymore.”

With that, she was tossed in beside him, landing with a hard _thud_ on the wood floor. The rusty door squeaked again as it was closed. Hiccup heard the men speaking as they walked off.

“I’ll take first guard, set up a schedule with the others.”

“What does he even want with them? The boy’s no good without the dragon, the girl’s useless altogether.”

“Who knows… besides, a girl’s never _completely_ useless, is she?”

Deep laughter followed the comment, “I suppose you’re right...”

Hiccup again tried to ignore their brute statements, knowing getting enraged wouldn’t help him at a time like this. Instead he looked at Astrid, finally able to focus on her, and only her.

She was laying on her back, head tilted away from him, giving him a good view of the damage done to the back of her skull. A patch of her hair, roughly the size of a fist, was stained red with her blood. Though the bleeding looked like it had mainly ceased, little droplets still cascaded down the strands of her wet hair.

He looked at her chest, not entirely convinced that she was even still alive. Thankfully, the steady rise and fall of her ribcage proved otherwise.

He then looked around the cell, light from the torches lining the hall being his only source, making the corners almost pitch black. It was moderately sized, at least. No objects could be seen other than a wooden bucket along one of the walls. The air was humid and musty, but their soaked clothing probably didn’t help.

Hiccup pulled at his bindings for the millionth time, knowing it wouldn’t do him much good, but he needed to get free. If only he’d been carrying his knife, the hunters hadn’t searched them, but he’d stored the weapon away the day prior. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his foggy and battered mind.

Wait-

The hunters hadn’t searched them…

His eyes snapped to Astrid’s form, looking her up and down. Astrid always carried a knife, he’d never seen her void of one when it was needed…

He clumsily shuffled over to her, looking up and down her body for potential places the weapon could be. He could see no indentations in or around her skirt, the way the wet clothing stuck firmly to her skin made it easy to rule out certain spots, he eventually decided on searching her boots.

Shuffling again, he turned so his back was to her, trying to feel down her fur boots for the sold handle. The first one he checked proved to be barren of any weapon, causing him to scoot over and get an attainable grip on the other one. He prayed silently as he started feeling down the wool and leather, spirits suddenly rising as he felt something long and solid beneath the material.

Removing the blade took longer than necessary, proving to be difficult as it was lodged between two firm pieces of leather, but soon enough he held the small dagger in his hand. And began clumsily cutting away at the ropes binding his wrists.

The second his hands were free, he felt a surge of blood he didn’t realize had been missing fill the extremities, tingling across his palms and fingers. He quickly moved to cut away at the ropes binding his legs, trying to do so as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert the guard he knew was just down the corridor.

As soon as the ropes binding him had all been cut, he swiftly went to cut away at the gag over his mouth, letting the strap fall to the floor, and finally riding his mouth of the insufferable cloth, throwing the fabric on the ground and wetting his tongue, swallowing back a cough.

Hiccup panted for a moment, free of all bindings and able to think straight for the first time since their capture. And while he should’ve probably tried thinking about solutions to their predicament, all he could think about was Astrid.

He quickly returned the knife to its place in her boot, then carefully stood, trying to avoid the dizziness he felt doing so. He grabbed the cloth that had been in his mouth, then gently took hold of the girl’s upper-arms. He dragged her backwards a few steps, until they’d reached the back wall of the cell.

Hiccup gingerly sat, back against the wooden wall. He pulled Astrid’s body close, being especially careful with her head. He cautiously pressed the cloth against her seeping wound, then rested her head on one of his thighs.

Content with the position, he slowly brushed her wet bangs from her face, revealing her features that were somehow much paler than normal. She still looked beautiful, though. She always did. It almost made him smile...

Until the guilt settled in.

He fought to keep the crew’s deviant comments from surfacing in his brain, refusing to think about what could happen to a pretty girl like her on a ship full of men like that.

He bent over to get close to her face, trailing a thumb across her cold cheek. “I’m gonna get you out of this, I promise…”

He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, unable to keep from recognizing the fluttery feeling in his chest as he did so.

Leaning back against the wall, he took a deep breath. He let his eyes close as he settled into the impossible task of figuring out how exactly he was going to keep that promise.


	4. Awake

Astrid’s mind was awake long before her body was.

Pieces of the night flashed through her mind, forming a cluttered strand of events she desperately tried to place in chronological order.

She remembered being in Hiccup’s hut during the storm. They’d had fun, mapping, chatting like they always did when they were alone together. And it had been peaceful, even with Thor’s wrath raging outside.

She’d been drinking, she’d fallen asleep. She’d slightly awoken when she was in his arms, but pretended she was asleep, just so he’d keep carrying her. She’d nestled herself into his bed, somewhat disappointed he didn’t crawl in next to her. There was a short period where absolutely everything was perfectly okay...

Then there was… yelling.

The sound of a Night Fury’s blast.

Chains rattling.

She’d… she’d tried to stop it, hadn’t she?

Yes! She’d watched them bind Hiccup, then she’d killed… She’d killed them. Well, some of them. There was more fighting…

She had one right in front of her, on the ground, cowering in fear. She was about to finish him off before a cracking pain in the back of her skull rendered her useless. 

After that, nothing.

She groaned, a centimeter of movement on her part was quick to prove that she’d _indeed_ been struck in the head. A shooting pain rattled through her skull and down through her body. Before she could open her eyes, a voice called through the darkness.

“Astrid?.. Astrid!”

It was one she recognized instantly, and quite frankly, the only voice she wanted to hear in that moment. Her eyes fluttered open to, thankfully, a dark room, when her vision adjusted she was greeted with the sight of Hiccup looking down at her.

“H... Hiccup?”

He ran a gentle thumb across her cheek, swiping hair away from her face.

“Thank Thor you’re okay…” He responded softly, a relieved look bloomed across his face.

“Wha… what-” She started as she tried lifting her head, but was cut off by another wave of shooting pain.

“Careful! Don’t move too much-” He commanded, Astrid realized then that he was holding the back of her head, the source of the pain. “You were struck with a chair, you’ve bled quite a bit, but I think it’s stopped.”

With a burst of energy, she managed to push herself into an upright position, Hiccup’s hands following her in case she were to collapse.

She groaned again, as a sudden lightheadedness followed the action. She immediately reached behind her head, feeling the wound for herself. There was a large section of matted-down hair, upon pulling her hand back and observing it, there were flakes of dried blood coating her fingers. Another fatigued wave crashed through her body, and she noticed a persistent ringing in her ears.

She rolled onto her hands and knees just as another jolting pain rang through her ribcage, she grabbed at it blindly, gasping at the sensation. Hiccup then remembered how the red-haired hunter had kicked her so violently after she’d been knocked out. At least she hadn’t felt it at the time.

There was convulsing in her abdomen. Hiccup watched her in concern.

“A-Astrid… are you-”

Her head snapped upwards to scan the room with great haste. Before Hiccup could say anything else, she was scuffling towards the bucket along the far wall, retching the contents of her stomach into what, he hoped, was an _empty_ pail. 

When she pulled back she wiped at her mouth in disgust and turned to view the whole of the room they were in for the first time. Hiccup watched her eyes widen with fear when she realized they were in a cell.

She started panting heavily as she spoke, “Hi-Hiccup…. Hiccup where… where are we?... Who brought us here?! Where are they taking-!”

“Shh!” He husted, scuffling over to where she now sat. “Keep your voice low.”

She took another moment to catch her breath, seemingly coming to a realization seconds later, she looked at Hiccup with grim eyes. “The hunters… the ones that broke into your hut…”

He frowned, then nodded.

Her eyes studied the cell door for a moment longer, then flickered back to look at him. “Tell me what happened.”

He did. He told her about the attack, the way Toothless was left behind in chains, how they were stolen from The Edge and taken to a foreign ship. He told her how the bounty hunter, the one who they’d encountered just a week earlier, was behind all of this. He told her what happened to the hunters who’d failed their task…

She slowly took it all in, letting him speak until he’d filled her in on everything he knew. But questions still raised in her mind.

“So… this _Krogan_ guy, he’s the one who orchestrated this? Not Viggo?”

“I think so, after last week anyways, I can’t see this guy having anything to do with him or Ryker.”

She looked around the cell, rubbing her upper arms for warmth. “How long have we been here?”

“An hour, maybe longer.” He replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know where they’re taking us, or even what they _want_ from us…”

It made no sense. The words of the guards from earlier echoed through his head, _the boy is useless without the dragon._

“They’ll find us.” Astrid said after a long pause. “The riders will come looking as soon as they realize we’re gone. Toothless and Stormfly are still there! Stormfly knows my scent, she could track us from a hundred miles away! Besides…” She reached into her boot, pulling the knife out just enough to showcase it to him. “We can handle these guys.”

He gave her a little smile, her confidence igniting some of his own. But doubt was ever present in his mind.

With that, she stood. Or rather, tried to stand. She swayed clumsily as she got to her feet and nearly collapsed when she tried taking a step. Hiccup rose to hold her upright, standing abruptly and grabbing her arms, giving her support.

“Astrid, for now you need to rest. You’re probably concussed, you should take it easy while you still can.”

She huffed, blowing hair from her eyes. As much as she wanted to disagree, she knew he was right. Defeated, she and him returned to their original positions in the cell. Only this time they sat side by side, backs against the wooden wall as they listened to the rumble of oceanic waves against the opposite side of it.

It wasn’t long before Astrid began to feel drowsy again. She’d taken blows to the head before, but nothing quite like this one. Hiccup was probably right about the concussion, but she had no choice but to deal with it. The nausea came in waves, but she was able to keep her stomach at bay for the time being. Within minutes, she’d fallen asleep with her injured head leaning against the hard surface. 

Maybe he was right, they should take advantage of their time, Thor knows what they were in for when they’d wake.

“Did… did the others say they’d be gone today?” Heather asked abruptly, talking over the loud gushes of wind that masked her voice.

Her and Fishlegs were quickly approaching Dragon’s Edge, and she couldn’t help but notice the eerie stillness of the base, even from a distance. Typically by midday you’d see at least someone outside, Astrid training or the twins getting into trouble, but all was still.

“Don’t think so,” Fishlegs was quick to respond. “They’re probably just out doing chores Hiccup sent them to do, you know how he gets when we’re gone and the idiots outnumber him.” He finished with a smile.

She laughed, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

She agreed, but something still felt off. She just couldn’t place it. They landed idly on the edge of the stable’s landing pad, dismounting and beginning removing their gear. Suddenly, the wail of a Monstrous Nightmare, and his very unamused rider snapped the pair’s attention away from their progress.

“HOOKFANG! WATCH IT!!!”

The pair on the landing strip had just enough time to dodge the flailing dragon as it crashed violently onto the wood, throwing Snotlout nearly ten feet. The boy skidded to a stop before pulling himself upward, glaring at the dragon.

“Snotlout, what in Thor’s name is wrong with you?!” Fishlegs yelled, calming a startled Meatlug.

“Those _damn_ Terrors!” He replied angrily, stomping towards the tail end of his irritated dragon. Fishlegs and Heather watched as Snotlout worked to pry something off Hookfang’s tail, a few seconds later, the boy was holding up a very disgruntled Night Terror. The creature _squaked_ loudly in his face, before getting loose of his grip and flying away.

Snotlout growled at the little dragon, then continued. “Apparently the cave we happened to stumble into is the party house for the Night Terrors _and_ the Night Swarmers!”

“We?” Heather asked curiously.

“We indeed!”

Heather looked upwards toward the new voice, only to see the twins approaching, far more relaxed than Snotlout had been. The Zippleback landed idly on the platform.

“Quite the spectacle,” Ruffnut started, inflexing her voice to sound proper. Though her intrigued expression turned to one of annoyance. “Until _someone_ decided to throw all the bricks we packed into the swarm!” She concluded, looking at her brother.

“You have no respect for experimentation, Ruffnut!” Tuff replied, planting his fists firmly on his hips.

“Why does _nothing_ you two do ever make any sense?!” Snotlout boomed.

Heather shook her head, taking the opportunity to leave the bickering three behind as she approached the stable doors. Sliding them open so the vast building was gifted a shred of outside light. Immediately upon this, the group outside was silenced by an ear-splitting noise.

Heather’s hands shot to cover her ears, wincing at the noise. But instantly recognized it as a distressed dragon… A _familiar_ dragon. She threw open the doors the rest of the way and ran inside, stopping in the center of the floor as she stared at the source of the wailing.

It was Stormfly. Locked in her cage, stomping in circles and screeching like mad.

“Stormfly?” Heather quavered, looking at the state the dragon’s stable was in. There were fresh claw and bite marks on nearly every piece of wood, and spine shots stuck in all directions.

“Wha- what’s she doing in here locked up?!” Fishlegs yelled over the screeching dragon, entering stables as Heather worked to open the stable door. “Astrid never keeps her in here during the day!”

As the door was finally unlocked, the Nadder burst out of her confinement and instantly flew out the stable entrance. Causing the other riders to duck out of her way. Heather stared as the dragon flew, but whatever strange feeling she had earlier was now amplified by Stormfly’s erratic behavior. Without saying a word, she ran to Windshear and flew after the still-screeching dragon.

The Nadder flew straight to Hiccup’s hut, landing on the platform before it and pacing in front of the entrance. Heather landed soon after, and without thinking, ran to the door of the building and drew it open. Her blood ran cold at the sight before her.

“Toothless!”

The dragon was lying entirely chained on the floor, upon seeing the girl, his eyes flickered hopefully. He roared at her weakly, still clearly inebriated in some way. Then, Heather noticed the state of the rest of the room. Two bodies lie strewn across the wood floor, blood coated the floor like a red carpet. There were excess chains, arrows and wood shambles. It looked like a complete massacre.

Hiccup… Astrid…

Heather’s breath hitched as she ran upstairs to the loft, hoping to all gods above the two weren’t lying slaughtered on the upper floor. Thankfully, the space was barren of anyone. By the time she ran back down the stairs, Fishlegs and the other riders stood in the doorway of the hut.

“Oh _gods…_ ” Fishlegs muttered, before moving swiftly towards Toothless to begin undoing the restraints.

Heather looked to the other riders, standing frozen with shock and horror.

“Where were Hiccup and Astrid last night?!”

“T-They stayed behind.” Snotlout stuttered. “We haven’t seen them since before the storm!”

“Uh… guys!” Ruffnut said, she was outside, looking to the side of the hut. When the others rounded the corner, they saw a large wooden cart sitting aside near Hiccup’s forge.

“Was this thing here last night?” Heather pressed, studying the object.

“Nope!” Tuffnut interjected. “Definitely would’ve noticed the huge dragon-sized cart.”

There was more noise from inside the hut, upon returning, the group saw Fishlegs undo the final chain restricting the Night Fury. The dragon fought to stand up, but his legs ultimately gave out beneath him. He warbled sadly. Fishlegs gently rubbed the dragon’s head, trying to comfort the stressed creature.

“Who are these guys?” Snotlout questioned, gesturing to the bodies that lay before them. “They don’t look like Viggo’s men.”

“We can’t worry about who they are!” Heather assured, fear lining her voice. “We have to find Hiccup and Astrid, if their dragons are here and they _aren’t,_ something’s seriously wrong!”

Snotlout huffed worriedly, “What should we do? We haven’t seen them in almost a day, they could be _anywhere_ by now!”

Heather paused, then resumed with determination. “Ruff, Tuff, search the rest of the huts, make sure they aren’t anywhere else on base. If you don’t find them, search the rest of the island by air, starting with the Eastern border.”

“We just came from there,” Ruffnut informed, brows stitched upward in concern. “We didn’t see anything!”

“Just do it! Snotlout, you and Hookfang go to the clubhouse and keep watch of the horizon, if you see _any_ ships, prepare for an attack.” With each command, the riders went off on their tasks, leaving Heather and Fishlegs alone with the downed Night Fury.

The girl approached the two, “Is it dragon root?”

“I-I don’t think so,” Fishlegs replied as he studied an odd wound on the dragon’s neck. “It’s effects would be more severe, this is a tranquilizer I’ve never seen before…”

With that, Fishlegs stood and hurried to Hiccup’s desk. Picking up a blank sheet of paper and charcoal. 

“What are you doing?”

“Sending for Stoick,” He said, not looking up from the writing. “Even if we do find Hiccup and Astrid before he gets here, these guys clearly aren’t Viggo’s men, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Heather suddenly got an idea, she exited the hut once more, looking for Astrid’s erratic dragon. Stormfly was now perched atop Astrid’s hut, looking out at the sea with intensity. Heather looked back at Fishlegs.

“I’m going to track them!”

“What?” He questioned, rolling the now-completed scroll.

“ _If_ they were taken, Stormfly can track Astrid from anywhere in the archipelago, it’s best I go now while her scent is still fresh!”

“You can’t go out there alone! What happens if you find them and you have a whole armada to fight?!” Fishlegs protested.

“What happens if they’re taken out of Stormfly’s range, and we never find them!” She yelled, getting emotional once more.

“Heather,” Fishlegs said, voice slowing to a soothing tone, “You and I both know a ship can’t get that far in one day. Hell, it can’t go that far in three days! We’re gonna find them, just… let me come with you, okay?”

Heather sighed, but nodded. She looked to Toothless, the poor dragon nearly incapacitated again. “What about him?”

“Meatlug and I can carry him to the clubhouse, Snotlout can look after him until we get back.”

“...Alright.” Heather responded softly, rubbing her upper arms nervously.

Fishlegs put a comforting hand on her shoulder, “They’re okay, Heather. Look what they managed to do with _these_ guys, Hiccup and Astrid can handle their own until we rescue them.”

Heather glanced at the bodies. Suddenly filled with reassurance, but a hint of dread refused to dissipate. 

Hiccup and Astrid jumped as they heard the door at the end of the chamber suddenly open, followed by the heavy footsteps of multiple guards approaching their cell.

Neither were positive how much time had passed since their arrival on the ship, mostly due to the fact that there were no windows where they were being held. Astrid was just grateful that she’d had a while to rest, the wound on her head still rattling pain through her skull and down her neck, but she tried her best to push it aside.

Two guards suddenly came into view in front of their cell door, both holding razor-sharp spears and wearing masks that covered their features, much like the ones who had taken them. Without saying a word, one of them moved to unlock the door.

Astrid’s eyes flickered to Hiccup’s, the two understanding what needed to be done.

When the cell door was opened, the guard finally spoke.

“Out. Both a ya.”

Astrid huffed, struggling to make it to her feet, but she complied. Walking out first and being pushed forward by one of the men. Hiccup followed behind, moving after Astrid and the guard with one behind him as well. He took a short moment to study the men, both a considerable size, definitely larger than the red-haired hunter and his partner had been. Chances were they’d since been commanded to send the bulkiest men when handling them.

They approached the end of the hall of cells, the guard behind Astrid using his spear to slide the door open in front of her. Beyond it was a staircase, likely leading to the top deck.

When Astrid didn’t move immediately, the guard shoved her forward.

“Go on!”

She glared at him over her shoulder, then began moving up the stairs.

Hiccup’s heart pounded in his ears as he followed behind. Anticipation getting the better of him.

Astrid moved almost comically slow with each step, causing the impatient guard behind her to shove her forward once again, this time she fell, curling over and bracing herself on the wooden steps. She took the opportunity to slip her fingers idly into her boot...

“Get a move on will ya?!” The guard yelled in frustration.

It was a mere second later that Astrid silenced the bulky man, swinging her arm around and slicing the dagger across the thick skin of his throat. Blood spurted from the wound and across Astrid’s chest before the man fell backwards. Hiccup just barely managed to step out of the way before the guard’s massive body slammed into his partner, causing them both to fall violently to the bottom..

Shuffling could be heard on the deck above them.

“Come on!” Astrid commanded, grabbing Hiccup’s wrist and pulling him down the stairs.

The slaughtered guard lay motionless atop his partner, who writhed beneath the large man trying to free himself. Astrid watched him carefully as her and Hiccup descended, gripping her dagger firmly into her palm. Just as they were about to make it to the bottom of the staircase, the man succeeded in pushing his now-deceased partner off of him, he flipped over, reaching across the ground for his fallen spear.

When he’d nearly grabbed hold of it, a searing pain shot through his palm. A dagger had been thrown and lodged into the back of his hand, the blade protruding through the other side. The guard groaned helplessly in pain.

The pair wasted no time, Hiccup scooped up the fallen spear as they ran, holding it tightly as the two sprinted towards the door at the opposite end of the chamber.

As they passed cell after cell, Astrid glanced over her shoulder at the staircase. More large forms were beginning to descend the steps, gasping at the sight that greeted them when they reached the bottom.

The fallen hunter was grasping at his injured hand, but stared at the two riders with hatred in his dark eyes.

“STOP THEM!”

The sound of rapid footsteps behind them echoed off the narrow walls. Finally, they’d reached the double doors at the end of the hall, pushing them open and slamming them shut once they’d entered. Hiccup swiftly weaved the spear between the handles.

Moments later, the hunters pursuing them had caught up, slamming against the thick wooden doors and pounding at the material when the spear blocked their entry. Hiccup and Astrid pressed all their weight against the wood.

“H-Hiccup!” Astrid exclaimed through gritted teeth. “I can hold them! Find another weapon!”

He was hesitant, but nodded. Stepping away from the violent scene and running into the unknown room. Astrid screwed her eyes shut, turning her back to the doors and using her legs to push hard into the material.

Through the deafening yells of the guardsmen and incessant pounding at the door, Astrid heard a sudden _thud_ come from the space in front of her. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Hiccup’s body, lying lifelessly on the wooden floor. A mysterious looking dart stuck into his chest. Astrid shuddered, eyes lifting to the center of the room.

It was him… The bounty hunter.

Krogan.

He stared at her indifferently as he loaded another dart into his blowgun. Before bringing the contraption to his lips and shooting in her direction. She lifted her arm to block the critical strike, but gasped in pain as it stabbed into her wrist.

She blinked, watching as blood seeped into the fabric around the impact. Within moments her eyes felt heavy, and her strong legs gave out beneath her as she hit the floor. The last image she saw before blacking out, was Krogan’s blurry form appearing above her…

Astrid’s senses came to her slowly, one at a time.

She felt the pain still ringing in the back of her skull, though now it was dulled. Most likely due to the tranquilizer.

However, a new sensation was becoming clear. The feeling of warmth on her skin, like laying out in the sun on a summer day, accompanied by the occasional light breeze. She could feel the rays tingling across her body, most notably across her exposed areas. Her face, her biceps, across her hands and down her fingers, over her shoulders and collarbone, but she felt it most around her abdomen. The heat traveling beneath the surface and warming her insides in a comforting way she didn’t realize she desired…

Wait- her collarbone, her abdomen…

Where was her shirt?

“Pale as a ghost, isn't she?”

“Skin’s flawless if ya ask me.”

There were other sensations becoming present. While the sun warmed her, she felt the hostile grip of large hands restraining her arms and legs. There were so many pairs she couldn’t tell where one person’s ended and another’s began… And the voices, gruff and unforgiving. But giddy, like children unwrapping a present on Snoggletog morning.

She tried desperately to open her eyes, but the drug in her system rendered it useless. She could do nothing but lay there as she suddenly felt yet another pair of hands fiddle with the wrapping of her breast bindings, having trouble deciphering exactly how to work the article.

“Figure it out will ya!” Called an impatient voice, “Can’t remember the last time I saw a pair of tits!”

“Why don’t ya just look in the mirror?”

Laughter ensued, followed by a loud _clank,_ most likely a palm hitting a metal helmet.

“Fuck off!”

Finally, the hands fiddling with her bindings had undone the fabric, pulling it out from beneath her and leaving her chest completely exposed. For a fleeting moment, she felt the familiar warmth of the sun on her skin, before it was abruptly replaced with the feeling of, what were likely multiple, calloused hands groping her fragile mounds.

“Ah, firm little ones, they are...”

“And these nipples,” She felt a sharp pinch come to her little bud. “They hard? I think she’s enjoyin’ this!”

There were other hands moving along her body now too, some slid across her exposed waist, some caressed her still-concealed hips and thighs. The combination of sensation seemed to be enough to finally kick her brain into gear, she fought to open her eyes.

“Flip ‘er over! Let’s see what kinda ass she’s packin’!”

Before her eyelids could respond to her commands, she was suddenly forced face-down into hard wood. Her cheekbone pressing painfully against the surface. She let out a barely-audible groan.

The excited hands did not cease for a moment, they were slowly caressing down her back, it sent a shiver through her body the way the rough skin tickled across her own. But as quick as the hands had moved to ghost down her back, they were firmly gripping the waistband of her leggings, snagging hold of her underwear as well. The fabric was drawn down from her waist to her mid-thighs in the blink of an eye, leaving the last of her intimate places to be on display for the men before her.

“ _Fuck…_ Really is our lucky day, ain’t it?”

Much like her breasts, hands were suddenly all over her pale globes. Squeezing at the skin roughly, one of them even giving her a firm spank. She whimpered at the foreign pain…

“Oh?.. I think the wench is comin’ to!”

Without warning she was flipped back over, her eyes finally fluttered open, but she was forced to squint as the bright sun beat directly onto her face. However, around the bright circle above her was a ring of silhouettes, large men held onto her from every angle, and even more stood by watching the event take place.

Having her sight restored helped to kickstart the last of her remaining senses, the final, and most vital one being her sense of survival. Panic erupted in her veins as she finally realized what was happening to her.

There was laughter, whistles from every direction, the hands on her arms and legs gripped so tightly the appendages were going numb. And in that moment, she was the most exposed she’d ever been. The feeling of dread was escalated when she realized all too late that the men at her feet had succeeded in slipping off her boots and pulling her leggings and underwear off her person entirely, leaving her stark naked for their viewing pleasure.

A large hand gently slapped against the side of her face.

“Wakey wakey little whore! Time to get up and play!”

She stared at the speaker above her, but was unable to make out his features in the brightness of the sun. She grunted, finally attempting to pull at the hands restraining her limbs, but the drug had left her weak, looking pathetic as she strained with all her might.

“Awww, I’m afraid you’re not goin’ anywhere sweet’art…”

She grit her teeth and growled at the man, hearing the voices so clearly, but unable to even distinguish who was speaking. There were so many of them…

Astrid went on pulling despite it’s uselessness, she had to try. Forcing every ounce of power into her limbs, she managed to kick her legs a bit harder, and strain the muscles in her biceps enough for the hands to grasp a little firmer. She felt so trapped, not even by the men, by her own body and it’s inability to save her in this horrific situation.

She continued flailing, trying to break free, even with the knowledge that she was outnumbered. Trying desperately to curl in on herself in an attempt to conceal her naked body, but the hands pulled at her limbs in every direction, forcing her to bare all.

“ _Thor’s hammer,_ just look at those tits bounce! Let her struggle! I could watch this all day!”

Astrid let out an involuntary cry, immediately scolding herself for doing so. She couldn’t show fear, she was a warrior!

She finally mustered words, yelling as loud as she could with her dry, raspy throat. “LET _GO_ OF ME!”

“Why watch,” Another spoke, ignoring her demands. “When you can touch?”

A meaty hand suddenly engulfed one of her breasts, squeezing painfully and drawing a whine from the girl. She watched helplessly as an unmasked guard suddenly dipped his ugly, scarred face down to her little mound. He locked eyes with her, giving the girl an evil smirk before dragging his large, slick tongue across her sensitive nipple.

Astrid gagged as he started playfully flicking his tongue across the rosy bud, staring into the girl’s face as he did so.

He laughed maniacally, pulling himself upwards only to give the breast he’d been teasing a hard smack, causing the now-slick mound to jiggle uncontrollably. The men stared down at her like she was a piece of juicy steak.

“Enough with ‘er tits!” A guardsman at her feet yelled. “Let’s get to the real treasure…”

She gasped as her legs, that she’d managed to keep somewhat closed at the knees, were violently jerked apart. For a moment, the cool breeze that swept through the air nipped at her sensitive underbits, an area so unused to the sensation of being exposed. But it wasn’t long before the odd sensation was replaced with the feeling of rough hands sliding up her inner-thighs.

As fingers inched closer to her trembling quim, she fought with every remaining ounce of energy she suppressed.

“STOP IT!” She demanded roughly, kicking against the pull of their grip. “GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!

“Well, since you asked nicely…”

She ceased her struggling to glare at the guard that perched himself between her parted legs, looking through the gap in his helmet to stare at his war-painted features. Though she couldn’t see much, she saw his eyes draw upwards in amusement. He suddenly raised his large hand, bringing it down full-force to slap her quivering pussy.

Astrid screamed in what she meant to be frustration, but was more so a combination of pain and terror. The men laughed, surrounding voices beckoned the man between her legs, urging him on.

“Just get on with it so we all get _our_ turns!”

“Ya act like _watchin’_ doesn’t do anythin’ for ya.”

“You know how long it’s been since I’ve had my cock in a woman?!”

“No longer than myself, I’m sure!”

“Not to mention one as _sexy_ as her!”

“If ya think _sticks_ are sexy. I like my women with _meat_ on their bones!”

“Ya got a tight little hole to stuff your prick in layin’ on a silver platter, and ‘yer complainin’?!”

_Huff-_

“Didn't said that…”

The casual nature of their tone disturbed Astrid to the core.

Without warning, the man between her legs was pulled away by the collar, thrown aside to reveal another, much _larger_ guardsman behind him.

“ _I_ get first fuck...” His deep, grumbly voice silenced the others. “She’s _mine._ ”

The hostility in his voice went far beyond masochistic horniness. Astrid’s chest heaved with her frantic breaths as she studied him. His mountainous form, unreadable dark eyes hidden behind the metallic helmet, a fresh, blood-stained bandage woven tightly around his meaty hand…

Astrid’s eyes widened in realization.

There was murmuring from the men above her.

"C'mon, I've seen what he's packin'... He'll _ruin_ her before the rest of us get a go..."

"You gonna tell him that?"

The man kneeled where the previous guardsman had been playing with her, taking up far more space than the smaller one. If she hadn’t been panicked before, any ounce of resilience left in her evaporated when she saw him reach for his belt.

 _“NO!”_ She screamed, flailing once more, fear replacing rationality. "BASTARDS!"

He’d undone his trousers, she saw him inch them downwards, seeing only a shred of the skin below before she threw her head back, eyes shutting to avoid the horror.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” She screamed raspily, tears forming behind her closed eyelids. “JUST LET ME GO!”

She felt his hefty weight shift over her, his humid breath danced across her neck.

“ _PLEASE!_ ” 

She was nearly sobbing. Feeling defenseless, reduced to begging, forced to bare all.

There was a brush of something hot and _hard_ against her untouched slit.

A final _crack_ of panic bolted it’s way into her heart, and she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was instinctive, the only thing in the world that could save her from this nightmare...

“ _HICCUUUUUP!!!_ ”

“STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT _ONCE!_ ”

Astrid heard the voice echo through the crowd of men, the hands restraining her disappeared, and the heavy weight of the man atop her was suddenly lifted. There was a brief sound of him tucking his pants back into place, then it was completely silent.

Slowly she opened her eyes, bracing her trembling, partially numb body on the wood surface beneath her. The crowd had backed away from her, but the men who once gathered near her feet had parted to reveal the one commanding them.

It was Krogan.


	5. Masking

Astrid panted, only then realizing that she could finally cover herself. She crossed her arms over her exposed chest, and pressed her knees firmly together. Curling in on herself as if she could sink right through the floor of the wooden deck.

Krogan looked at her with intensity, walking through the parted group of men until he was right in front of her. She glared at him. Half of her was beyond grateful that he’d stopped the assault on her, but the other half knew that whatever his reasons for doing so were, they likely weren’t much better.

Besides, it was hard to look intimidating when she finally noticed the streaks of tears that had since masked her pale face.

The leader’s eyes studied her entire form. Like he was taking mental snapshots of her every curve, her every inch, where her thin frame made her bones jut out into her milky skin, and where the blue in her eyes met the dark circles thereunder.

He just… kept staring!

What did he want with her? Was he sizing her up to determine which of the men should take her first? Was he deciding if he wanted her all to himself? Was he debating whether or not to just  _ kill her _ now and get her out of the way entirely?! She could do nothing but sit there and tremble as he gazed on.

Finally, his eyes lifted from her small form, and began scanning the crowd of men that loomed behind her. He clasped his hands behind his back, wearing an angry, yet authoritative scowl; which could have very well been his natural expression.

“Listen. Closely.” He articulated slowly. Keeping his voice low, but projecting clearly. “If any one of you rats lies another hand on this girl during her stay on this ship… You will be  _ slaughtered _ where you stand.”

Astrid gaped at his words, and listened as there were light mumbles coming from behind her, Krogan continued.

“Let that be known amongst  _ all _ soldiers on board accordingly.” He glanced down at her a final time, before turning on his heel and walking off. “Now finish what you were  commanded to do!”

As he’d made it far enough away, the disappointed murmuring behind her grew louder by the second. Though, it seemed their leader had beyond exceeded putting them into their place. Astrid curled in on herself tighter, before looking over her shoulder at the group. She was pleased to see most of the men depleting, the crowd thinning enough to finally get a good view of exactly where she was.

But one thought still raged through her head, a thought that had been somewhat suppressed until now: Where was Hiccup?

She continued looking around, seeing nothing but guardsmen returning to their usual duties. Her clothes were nowhere to be found, and though she could barely see over the ship’s railing, she guessed that the horizon was barren of distant islands, or anything to tell her how far they’d traveled.

Suddenly, footsteps were approaching her from the front again. Snapping her head towards the noise, she saw two masked guards, each holding buckets in their hands. Before she could read the situation too closely, the closest one spoke up.

“Hope ‘yer feelin’ dry.”

A second later, the man had splashed the contents of the bucket over her naked body. She gasped, the cold, yellowish liquid dripping over every inch of her skin from the chest down. Before she could even blink, the second guard had emptied his bucket directly over her head, another wave cascading down her face and soaking into her golden scalp.

She shut her eyes firmly, waiting until most of the liquid had dripped off her features. That’s when she was hit with the smell. A foul, sour odor emanated from the juice, and consequently, her entire body. She slowly opened her eyes, letting her lips part a bit, a small drop slipped onto her tongue.

She gagged, spitting onto the ground beside her. Laughter came from one of the guards.

“Ahahaha! What’s the matter, love? Singetail piss don’t set well with ya?”

Singetail…  _ what?! _

Before she could process anything, the two guards had tossed aside the buckets and each grabbed her upper-arms, hauling her to her feet.

She tucked her legs tightly together, struggling against their grasps to curl over and hide her naked form, but they dragged her forward anyway. To a passage leading below deck. It only took them rounding the final corner of the staircase before Astrid recognized it as the familiar setting she’d murdered the guard in. The blood staining the wooden steps and walls was enough to ensure her of that.

“Don’t believe it,” One guard murmured to his partner, eyeing the stained wood. “Kills three of our men, and we don’t even get to fuck ‘er.”

“Oh I believe it.” The other replied, speaking louder, as if to indirectly address the girl they were guiding. “Think about it? What would someone like Krogan want with an  _ untouched _ girl like herself?”

Astrid growled as she heard chuckling.

Finally they’d reached the same cell she’d been held in before. They had opened the screeching metal door and tossed her inside before she could get a good look around, but she put her focus into covering her naked body. Placing her hands over her breasts and squeezing her legs shut where she sat, once the guards had shut and locked the door, they spent a moment longer looking her up and down before walking off.

Astrid processed everything for a moment, letting her mind sort through all that just happened to her in a matter of a few minutes. One thing stood out. It could’ve been the strange nature of the order, or the fact that the smell was still radiating through her nostrils. They’d covered every inch of her in Singetail urine. The confusion she felt at first was far more comforting than the realization she’d make.

Her scent... they were masking her scent.

Such a pungent odor would make tracking impossible.

She shut her eyes and sunk in on herself as she witnessed the only shred of reassurance she had left quickly evaporate.  _ Breathe. _ She told herself.  _ Hiccup and I will figure this out- _

HICCUP!

Her shivering body was suddenly electrified with panic. She hadn’t seen him since before Krogan had knocked them both out. Not on the deck when the group had cleared, not on her way back into the chamber of cells. Her breathing quickened as she tried desperately to think of what to do next. But then, as if the gods were speaking directly into her thoughts, she got the brilliant idea to finally  _ look _ around the cell they’d thrown her in.

It was dark along the sides and corners, and she had to let her eyes adjust to a specific dark portion before she made the discovery she’d been yearning for.

It was him!

Hiccup was there! In the cell! He hadn’t been thrown overboard, or slaughtered at Krogan’s hand. He was right there with her-

And… just as naked as she was.

Her relief was lost as her cheeks suddenly burned hotter than ever before. He was lying on his front,  _ thank Odin,  _ and in the dim torchlight she could see his skin shimmering with a wet sheen. His damp hair hid most of his face, but he appeared to be out cold.

Shaking off her embarrassment, Astrid idly scooted closer to watch for a steady rise and fall of his ribcage, which she thankfully saw. He must’ve still been under the effect of Krogan’s darts, he  _ had _ taken a much more direct hit than she had. It made sense.

And upon getting closer to him, the sour odor that covered her own body became steadily stronger, it was clear he had gotten the same treatment she had.

Well, hopefully not the exact same.

A new fear blossomed in her chest, it was unlikely that the men had tried anything with him in that way, but she certainly wouldn’t put such a thing beneath them. She moved until she was beside his upper-body, trying her best to keep her eyes from wandering further south in the process. She brushed some of the dark hair from his face to see if he’d been beaten, but only found the nasty bruise on his cheek that had already been there.

Then, well… she didn’t really know what to do. She just sat there, trying to keep her mind from playing out a horrible scenario of him waking up while they were both stark naked. Not that there weren’t more important things to worry about, but it was pretty hard to focus when your best friend, who happened to be the opposite gender, was laying in front of you completely exposed.

Astrid didn’t think the sight of another guardsmen would bring her any form of relief, but surprisingly, one of the men appeared at the cell door with a bundle of something soaking wet in his hands. He tossed the contents through the metal bars indifferently, causing a wet  _ plop _ to echo through the room. As he made his exit, Astrid’s eyes lit up when she realized it was their clothes.

She quickly scuffled towards the pile, getting another big whiff of the pungent odor of urine, which was obviously the liquid the garments were coated with. She tried to ignore it as she laid out all the items carefully. Their shirts, Hiccup’s trousers, her leggings, their boots. Hiccup’s leg was tangled in one of the articles, but thankfully it looked unscaved. With everything in front of her, she quickly realized their armor, her skirt, Hiccup’s leather vest, along with everything else was nowhere to be seen… neither was any underwear.

She grumbled. Either they’d decided the more intimate clothing would have a higher chance of emitting a traceable odor, which was gross, but plausible. Or, they’d just decided to fuck with them. The thought was filling her with rage, but sliding on her dripping leggings and shirt helped bring her some comfort, despite the fact that they were wet, cold, and smelled like an uncleaned dragon stable. She was just happy to not be naked.

Speaking of… she eyed Hiccup’s clothing as she finished slipping on her soggy boots. The redness returned to her cheeks as she realized what needed to be done. She went for the most useful garment first, his pants. Taking the article in her shaky hands, she fearfully turned back to her exposed friend.

He laid there, still as ever, but he might as well have turned into a ravenous Hideous Zippleback.  _ Nah, _ an annoying voice echoed in her head,  _ I’ve faced horrifying creatures before, this is WAY scarier. _

She fumbled to his legs, and carefully worked his appendages into the fabric. The wetness of the material made it difficult, but she managed to work it up over his knees. That’s when she realized she’d  _ have _ to look at him. She gulped, shifting her eyes and continuing to work the fabric over his backside.

Astrid couldn’t exactly help the rush of blood that suddenly gushed through her lower belly, even though Hiccup usually wore pretty fitted pants, the sight of it entirely bare before her was captivating.  _ Come on,  _ she thought,  _ it was just an ass, everyone had one! So what if his happened to be really… really nice? _

Ignoring the blush that was quickly spreading from her face down to her chest, she pulled the remaining fabric over his exposed backside. It took a surprising amount of effort, which she simply chalked up to the material being wet and clingy. She breathed a sigh of relief, glancing down his legs to make sure they were on properly. Her eyes fell to his left leg, or… lack thereof, and decided it would be best to leave his prosthetic off, rather than risk her putting it on the wrong way. Content with her work, and relieved he was finally covered, she gingerly rolled him over onto his back.

...Oh gods.

Oh  _ GODS _ in  _ ASGARD _ -

Well, that explains why the fabric was so hard to pull. The waistband had simply been caught… on the underside of his balls.

Before the poor, helpless girl could even remember how to breathe, she was gifted a view of what a man possessed between his legs for the first time in her life. And that man just so happened to be her closest friend and leader… and her crush, that too.

She sat still, entirely petrified. Eyes wide and blood turning to ice as she stared down at it. Though, perhaps it wasn’t the blood in her appendages turning cold, it was likely the fact that it had simply started to pool hot in another part in her body, a part that very  _ suddenly _ needed it for some odd reason.

_ This is wrong! _

_ This is wrong! _

_ This is SO wrong! _

But the voices screaming in her brain fell on deaf ears. And years of morbid curiosity compelled her to continue staring at the strange object, not able to tear her eyes away even if she wanted to.

It was so…  _ weird _ looking. The whole thing was a slightly darker color than the rest of him, with dusts of auburn hair coating the edges. His testicles sort of bulged with the tension of the fabric beneath them, making a few spidery veins visible even in the dim light. And the longer, more narrow thing above it flopped around a little as he’d been pulled over. The heat in her lower belly grew even hotter as she studied the foreign object, and the fire erupted entirely as she visualized exactly what the organ was intended for. Or rather,  _ where _ it was intended to go.

She’d never thought she would find a thing like this so intriguing. Most women in Berk cringed when they spoke of it, saying it was one of the nastiest things Odin had graced the earth with. It didn’t look nasty.

It looked sort of…  _ cool. _

Her wide eyes danced along his flaccid member, knowing internally that the object was supposed to get big and hard when engaged in  _ that _ type of thing. But if she was being honest, she couldn’t even fathom having something the size it was now being in her.

_ Gods _ her body burned. Just looking at the object sent her body into a state of arousal she’d never even felt before. Not that she even  _ wanted _ to be aroused, it was the last thing she wanted at a time like this. But clearly, her groin knew something her brain didn’t, and she fought the overpowering urge to reach out and touch it…

_ “I get first fuck…” _

The memory of the voice snapped her out of her trance.

_ “YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” _

Suddenly, she could feel the hands of dozens of guards grabbing her at once. The memory hitting her like an arrow through the chest. She remembered the brush of a hot, hard object along her sensitive underside, which was now twinging at the idea of touching her unconscious friend.

_ Oh gods, _ she thought with terror,  _ I’m no better than them! _

This wasn’t some toy she could entertain herself with, or some ancient painting she could stare at for hours. This was Hiccup! She could no longer look at the fascinating area of his body, shamefully shifting her eyes downward, she grabbed for his waistband and blindly tucked it up over his groin. When she looked at him again, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his lower body now completely covered.

It appeared that the gods were finally on her side, because the moment she looked up, she heard a low groan.

“Hiccup!” She breathed, scooting towards his upper-body just as she saw his brows furrow. She took his head in her hands, watching intently as his eyes fluttered open.

He winced, “Ughhh… A-Astrid?”

“I’m here,” She swept his damp hair from his eyes once more. “You’re okay.  _ We’re  _ okay.”

“Wha… what happened?” He shifted upwards and out of her grasp, setting himself upright, and looking down at himself. “Uhhh… why am I shirtless?”

She cringed at his obvious embarrassment, but was silently thanking the gods she’d gotten his pants on in time.

“Umm- here.” She quickly handed him the wet article that laid on the floor behind her, his confusion was still evident, but Astrid was relieved when the smell seemed to distract him.

He sniffed the soaked fabric, wincing uncomfortably before slipping it on. “What is this stuff?”

Astrid stiffened, rubbing warmth into her upper arms. “It’s… Singetail urine.”

Hiccup froze, instantly realizing what she meant. “Our scent…” 

She nodded sadly, “They knew we had tracker dragons, and they knew the other riders would try to find us.”

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, Hiccup contemplating everything and unable to think of another solution. He rubbed the sour liquid from his eyes, “You have any idea how long it’s been?”

“When I was on the upper deck, the sun was high, probably around midday. I couldn’t see any landmarks.”

“The riders must’ve found Stormfly and Toothless by no-” He stopped, looking at her intently. “You were awake?”

Astrid cringed, not wanting to think about the events that had taken place, but Hiccup pressed on. “What happened up there? Did you see Krogan?”

She paused for a moment, not looking into his eyes. “Yeah, he was just… giving orders and stuff, nothing helpful.” She continued rubbing her upper-arms, the urine beginning to dry tightly to her skin.

Hiccup focused on her face a little harder, she wasn’t acting right.

“Astrid…” He said, almost sternly. She didn’t reply. “What happened up there? Did-” He shuffled closer to her, taking her cold hand. “Did they do anything to you?”

She kept looking down, and an unholy fear began blossoming in Hiccup’s chest. His mind went to the absolute worst scenario, and he wanted nothing more than for her to assure nothing of the sort happened.

Thankfully, she squeezed his hand, looking up at him with hopeful eyes, but he could still make out sadness in the depths of blue.

“No, nothing happened…” She trailed off a little, knowing he wouldn’t buy a full denial. But she didn’t want to worry him, “They just… touched me, a little…”

“ _ WHAT?! _ ”

Okay, maybe not the best approach.

“NO! I-I mean, uhh…” Her brows knitted, and she tried to think of the least-awkward explanation she could. As if there was one. “Th-they… didn’t do THAT. I mean, they  _ tried, _ but Krogan stopped them.”

Hiccup’s face was unreadable. Emotion after emotion flowed through him. Panic, worry, and now confusion.

“Krogan, he…” Hiccup started, thinking through his words. “What exactly did he say?”

Astrid paused, “He said if any man tried touching me again, they’d be killed.”

Hiccup looked on, processing this. There was a tugging in his gut, the feeling he got when something dreadful was about to happen. Sure, being kidnapped trapped on a boat with absolutely no help was awful, but there was something different going on. This wasn’t the way he typically felt when they were in perilous situations. And he felt that something bad,  _ very _ bad was waiting for them.

“Hiccup,” Astrid started, looking far more dreary than he was ever used to seeing her. “What’s gonna happen to us?”

He studied the floor, debating on exactly how much he wanted her to know about this dreadful feeling.

“I’m not sure,” He answered honestly, but slid his now-warmed hands up her upper-arms, squeezing them as she looked into his eyes. “But we’re gonna make it out, you hear me?”

He then pulled her into a tight hug. It shouldn’t have been very comforting, given their cold, wet clothes and sour smells, but it was exactly what they both needed. He went on, remembering the promise he’d made to her slumbering self. “I’m gonna get you out of this Astrid, somehow…”

“Us.” She corrected, pulling back from him, and holding out an object she'd retrieved from the floor. His prosthetic. “You’re gonna get  _ us  _ out of this.”

He smiled.

Heather squinted at the horizon, unable to see extremely far through the blinding rays of orange sunset. Stormfly flew a few yards in front, actively sniffing the seaswept air and squawking in what she assumed to be fear. The girl couldn’t exactly blame her, but the faster they flew, the more distance they covered, the more vast, empty ocean they came to.

Her and Fishlegs had spent most of the day in silence. Him, running through logical scenarios in his brain. And her, thinking of everything horrific that could be happening to their friends. But they would be without daylight soon, Fishlegs thought it best to finally speak.

“It’s unlikely a ship could move much farther than this in a day,” Fishlegs commented, speaking loudly over Meatlug’s labored breathing, as the pudgy dragon was struggling to maintain pace with the others. Heather looked at him grimly, he gave a reassuring smile. “If Stormfly’s scent is accurate, we should find them bef-”

Suddenly, Fishlegs was cut short as the Nadder that led them came to an abrupt halt. Both riders had to skew in different directions in order to keep from running into the blue dragon, but circled back around to see exactly what had happened. Stormfly looked even more afraid than she did on The Edge, but even then, she knew exactly where to look. Now her head whipped around in every which direction, sniffing the air and giving panicked squawks as she hovered.

Heather blinked. “What the… Fishlegs, why is she stopping?!”

“I-I don’t-” He stared at the frantic Nadder, unable to come up with a viable answer. Stormfly then went from searching the horizon to looking between the two riders, and gave an ear-splitting cry.

Heather winced, “Did she lose the scent?!”

Fishlegs looked on, finally realizing what was causing the dragon’s erratic behavior.

“No… she didn’t lose it.” He looked at Heather, expression contorted in fear. “The scent…  _ stops _ here.”


	6. Business

Astrid shuddered, her breath becoming visible in the dark cell.

She’d lost track of how long they’d been on the ship. It was impossible to tell within the bowels of the vessel, but it seemed like an eternity. The pair had since been given a bucket of water and plate of raw fish, which they made the most of. Rationing the liquid and eating what they knew was safe from the carcass, but neither had so much as an idea of where they were being taken.

Hiccup was huddled close to her, clearly as cold as she was. As of recently, the temperature had completely shifted in the room. And despite it being early Fall, this seemed excessive.

The sound of heavy bumps against the hull of the ship caught their attention.

“Wha…” Astrid began through chattering teeth, “W-What is that?”

Hiccup listened carefully, the sound continued, this time scraping across the sides of the ship. “I-It sounds like- _ice._ ”

Suddenly, the two were jolted by the slowing of the ship. The noises ceased, and everything was still. The only sounds emanating through the corridor were their cold, labored breaths. Astrid shivered, though it wasn’t the temperature that was causing it. Whatever the reason was for taking them, wherever they had been going, they would shortly discover. They had arrived.

The familiar sound of heavy footsteps echoed off the walls. And within seconds, a crew of guards were approaching the door.

“Astrid, get behind me.” Hiccup warned.

Before she could protest, Hiccup pushed himself in front of her as the guards opened the cell door. Two stepped inside, glaring at the pair on the ground, who gladly returned the gesture.

“If you hurt her again-” Hiccup threatened, but to no avail. One of the men grabbed Hiccup by the tunic and slammed him into the floor.

“No!” Astrid yelped as the other went for her, lifting her to her feet and pinning her face-first into the wall. Too cold and weak to fight, she could do nothing but grit her teeth as they bound her hands behind her back.

Hiccup grunted as he was pushed harder into the floor, the guard working on his restraints huffed in amusement.

“Not so tough now, are ya?”

The boy was hauled to his feet, the guard kept a firm grip on his arm as Astrid was finally freed from the wall.

“Neither of ‘em are.” The other replied, keeping a tight hold on Astrid’s waist. She growled at him. “So sad to see this one go, never even got to have our fun.”

The girl whimpered as the guard suddenly slid his hand up to grope at her breast.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!!” Hiccup lurched forward, only to be dragged backwards out of the cell. Thankfully, Astrid’s guard pushed her after him.

Surrounded by the men in the hallway, they were prompted forward with nearly a dozen spears and crossbows. Clearly, they didn’t want to take any more chances after the previous deaths. The two couldn’t exactly blame them.

They were forced up the familiar set of stairs, only this time, sunlight did not emanate from doors above. Instead, there was a strange, bluish haze. The cold became more intense as they neared the deck, and when they were shoved through the doors and into the open air, the pair were left to gape at the surrounding territory.

Well, that certainly explained the cold.

They could see no sky, no surrounding waters aside from the port they had docked themselves in. Vast walls of ice encircled them, ships lined in every direction, like a floating base atop the black, icy water.

There was little time to take in their surroundings as they were pushed onward, further onto the deck and into the freezing terrain.

Krogan watched from the bow of his ship as the two prisoners emerged from below deck. Out of their armor and barren of weapons, the two looked practically harmless. It was a wonder how they were able to get the better of his men.

He chuckled to himself. He supposed his crew wasn’t the most intelligent there ever was, but that would change soon enough. At least for what he had planned.

“I see you arrived in one piece!”

Krogan turned to the source of the voice, seeing a tall man dressed in extravagant armor walking towards him. Recognizing him as one of the fleet captains.

“And why wouldn’t I?” Krogan responded, disinterested.

“Well, according to the dragon hunters, those riders pack a more than powerful punch.” The captain stopped beside the man, a smug look on his bearded face. “And last I heard, your men aren’t even remotely finished with their training.”

Krogan scowled, “And that’s where _he_ comes in.”

He gestured to the imprisoned riders, being held by guards just across the deck. The captain’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t that-”

“The heir to the chief of Berk? Leader of the dragon riders himself? Yes it is.”

The captain huffed, “Gods, heard plenty about him over the years. Sure doesn’t look like much, does he?”

“When his precious Night Fury isn’t there to protect him.”

“And what of the dragon?”

Krogan’s fists clenched, furious that his plan hadn’t gone as he’d imagined. Ignoring the question, he stopped a passing guardsman.

“You!” Krogan commanded, the scrawny guard snapped to attention, fear hidden beneath his mask. “Take a few extra men and get that boy to the base’s prison. Do _not_ let him out of your sight.”

“Yes Krogan!” He replied enthusiastically, before rushing off in the direction of the prisoners.

“What exactly do you want with him, anyway?” The captain went on, testing Krogan’s patience. “Without the dragon, the boy’s useless.”

“Exactly what I’ve heard again and again.” Krogan glared over his shoulder. “Have you forgotten that I’m training my men to _fly_ dragons? Imagine extracting information from than the one who mastered the art before anyone else. Besides, the son of Stoick the Vast? Who better to play a disposable pawn in Drago’s war?”

The captain studied the floor, before looking back to the man with a devious smile.

“Perhaps you’re-”

“Hiccup! NO-!”

The two were cut off by the screech of a feminine voice. Looking across the deck, the situation became clear. The boy was struggling, being dragged away by several guardsmen, and the blonde girl was going absolutely mad.

“Astrid! It’s alright! I’ll find you, just stay calm!” The boy called out as he was dragged off the ship. But the girl kept fighting.

“I swear to ODIN if you hurt him! Bring him back, _please!”_

Krogan watched the scene with amusement, the captain clicked his tongue.

“And who might _she_ be?”

“An inconvenience.” Krogan replied shortly, watching her every move like a hawk. Even from afar, she was a nuisance. But a captivating one, nonetheless.

“A feisty inconvenience. Don’t suppose you have anything to do with her?” The captain asked, an almost hopeful tone to his voice.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Krogan allowed himself a little smile. “Any chance Milos is still in port?”

The captain stood in silent understanding, before chuckling. “Ah, I see. As a matter of fact, he is. But his ship’s set to leave today, if you hurry you might catch him.”

Krogan didn’t say goodbye, or even acknowledge the captain further as he made his way across the deck, towards the sound of the commotion the girl was causing.

“You’re ALL gonna be sorry! Just wait!” She yelled between grunts and growls.

Krogan approached her indifferently, realizing that it was taking three guards to restrain her, even with her hands tied. Her matted, blonde hair was a mess on her head, falling out of the braid and into her face as she struggled. Yes, she was far less intimidating in her current state, but that wasn’t really saying much anyways.

She only stopped her struggling when she noticed him approaching, to which she glared fiery daggers into his eyes. Panting heavily, she showed her teeth like a rabid animal caught in a trap.

But Krogan had no time for it. He snatched her away from the men as she gave an awful screech, holding her arm with a vice grip that was sure to leave bruises. He eyed two guardsmen holding crossbows.

“You two, follow me! And keep your weapons drawn, if she tries anything, put an arrow in her back!”

Astrid Hofferson was never one to comply with the enemy. Though, it was hard to appear intimidating with two bowmen behind you just itching to end your life.

She remained silent, being led by Krogan across the shipyard and through what looked like the base of an entire army. Soldiers were littered everywhere, eyeing them as they passed and murmuring to one another as if she couldn’t see them. The ships they crossed rocked steadily with the sweeping waves of the black water beneath, leaving Astrid to wonder what could be causing such a disturbance in a cavern like this. Who were these people? They didn't _look_ like dragon hunters. They didn't look like any armada she'd ever seen!

Though, her main focus was on Hiccup, concerned with wherever they had taken him, and whatever they were doing to him. Maybe it was because she felt entirely alone without him, vulnerable, freezing, and damn near naked without her skirt and armor. She just wanted to know their plans for them, but had a feeling she wouldn’t have the luxury of someone outright telling her.

Then again, maybe she was better off that way.

They continued their trek until they approached a boat that looked quite different than any of the others. The design was sleeker, more stylized, complete with a deep red sail that stood out among the collection of beige. The insignia was a golden anchor, encircled by tribal flags she didn’t recognize. The entire ship seemed out of place, as if it had taken a wrong turn and ended up in this frozen hell by mistake. Not completely unlike herself.

Krogan pulled her aboard, feet dragging like a child being forced into time out. Despite not being the bulkiest of men, he was nearly all muscle, and displayed almost no effort in pulling her along. She knew she was testing her boundaries with the bowmen behind her, but the more she knew she could get away with, the easier it would be to escape.

In the center of the deck, just beneath the blood red sail, was what appeared to be an accommodation quarter. A guard in crimson armor stood outside the door, eyeing the group as they approached, but refraining from words altogether. Krogan stopped before them.

“Is Milos in?” He asked bitterly.

The guard looked him up and down, “He’s prepared to sail, not entertaining visitors.”

“Do I look like a visitor?” Krogan snapped, then pulled painfully on Astrid’s arm. The girl grunted in discomfort. “I have something he’ll be interested in.”

The guard finally took notice of Astrid, and just like everyone else she’d encountered since The Edge, he looked at her like she was a chest full of golden coins. Not like she was a fellow Viking, or even a human being. Just something they could gawk at, and dream about taking for themselves.

“I see, one moment.”

With that, he entered the chambers, quick to close the heavy door behind him, and the group was left to wait. Krogan, clearly growing impatient, kept a vice grip on Astrid’s arm. She struggled against him, not to escape, just to get some feeling back in her hand, which was nearly paralyzed from the cold and lack of blood. It was of little use, Krogan simply shot her a fiery glare, then gripped even tighter.

Eventually though, the guard opened the door.

“He’ll see to you.”

“Excellent.” Krogan stepped forward.

The guardsman stopped him before the threshold, “Are the archers necessary?”

Krogan scowled, then gestured to the girl. “For this one? Definitely.”

With that, they were allowed in. Astrid stumbled in beside Krogan, and was left to take in her surroundings on the foreign ship. The room was average sized, lined with bookshelves and decorative armor hung on the wooden walls. The edges were dark, only a few small torches served for light. Those, along with a skylight that cast a blue glow from the ceiling above. In the center of the room was a desk, lined with papers and books. For a moment, Astrid thought of how much Hiccup would be at home in a place like this.

But that moment was short lived, because seated at the table, facing them, was a man. He was pale, exaggerated by the blue light shining down on his form. His bald head led down to a concentrated face, and a dark goatee neatly trimmed around the edges. From what Astrid could see of his clothing, it was the same crimson of the guardsmen’s armor, though it certainly wasn’t the same material. It almost looked like silk, or satin, lined with golden trimmings and sophisticated hemming.

His face was down-turned, focused on something concealed among the countless items on his desk. Writing away with a metallic ink pen.

“Milos,” Krogan started, voice less demanding than Astrid had ever heard of him. “Long time, no see.”

The man kept his eyes on his work, sighing. “I assume there’s a good reason you chose to interrupt my busy schedule.” He shifted some papers as he spoke with an accent that vaguely reminded Astrid of Viggo’s. “I’m off in less than an hour, you know?”

“You know I’m not in the business of wasting my colleague's time.”

“We are most certainly _not_ colleagues.”

Astrid saw Krogan’s jaw clench, “No? Perhaps that can change, I have something to offer you.”

“The last whore I bought from you sold for less than a yak.”

 _“This_ one, is no whore.”

Finally, Milos’ attention peaked. He looked up from his paperwork, eyes going straight to Astrid. They flickered over her entire form.

“A warrior?” He asked, clearly intrigued.

“A _dragon_ rider.” Krogan emphasized. “And a bitch, killed three of my men. Brought her in with a boy, figured you'd be interested in this one.”

“I see.” Milos drew out his words. He stood from the desk, walking around to approach the girl directly. He was more stalk than muscle, and barely Astrid’s height. His clothing hung low, and it was clear by his posture, this man thought _very_ highly of himself.

He moved until he was a mere foot from her, still eyeing her as many others had. But something about his stare... He didn’t look hungry or lustful, he simply looked thoughtful.

He spoke again, keeping his gaze on Astrid, but avoiding her eyes. “She’s old.”

“Fifteen, I reckon.” Krogan mused.

Milos huffed, “Fifteen?! Maybe if she weren’t so tall. Sixteen, at bare minimum.”

“I’m nineteen.” Astrid shot, confused and irritated at their conversation. Though, her comment was disregarded entirely.

“Have it your way, she’s sixteen.” Krogan settled.

“Of course, none of that matters if she isn’t what you’re implying she is.” Milos straightened himself even more, hands clasping behind his back. “Is she?”

“Isn’t that _your_ area of expertise?”

Milos was silent, before finally meeting Astrid’s gaze. His eyes a menacing hazel, icy in the cool light of the room. “Stand in front of the table.”

He’d turned on his heel and walked away before Astrid could react, she was quickly released and pushed forward by Krogan. She rubbed the feeling back into her numbed arm, before surveying the room a little closer. The bowmen were still behind Krogan, ready to kill her if she tried anything. No exits aside from the main door, or the skylight, which was at least ten feet above.

She idly walked to stand in front of the cluttered desk, subconsciously happy to be away from Krogan for the first time in a while. But her relief was short lived, upon Milos’ next command.

“Take off your clothes.”

It was dismissive, like his words had no weight. He wasn’t even looking at her, just organizing the items on his desk, stacking them to clear the surface.

Astrid didn’t move, just stared at the man in shock and disgust. 

He finally finished clearing the table, then looked at the girl. His face was unreadable as he made his way around to stand directly in front of her.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“Go to hell.” She muttered, still glaring and altogether unafraid of what would come of it.

He didn’t get angry, or react with violence as Krogan would have. In fact, he smiled.

“Do you know what business I have with you, darling?”

Astrid stayed silent, realizing then that she _did_ want to know. Why was she there? What were they doing with her? If they were going to rape her and throw her beaten body into the ocean, they would’ve done it by now. This? This was just confusing.

Milos held his smile, “Well you see, I’m a merchant. Well-acclaimed throughout northern Scandinavia. I buy things. I sell things.”

Astrid’s stomach dropped.

He continued, “And, darling, the moment you set foot on this ship, you became a _thing._ Which means you _have_ no say, and you _have_ no control. So, I’m going to repeat myself for the final time. Take. Off. Your. Clothes… Unless you want me to cut them off, but it is dastardly cold out here, I figured you’d rather put them back on when we’re done here. Doesn’t matter much to me.”

Astrid stared, feeling like the weight of the world was just dropped on her shoulders. Everyone was looking at her. Silent. Waiting. Though every ounce of her pride screamed at her not to, the rational bit of her forced her hands to grasp the hem of her shirt.

Cornered, she took the command head on.

She screwed her eyes shut, as if that could somehow trick her brain into believing she _wasn’t_ doing what she was doing.

She pulled, sweeping the article over her head and dropping it next to her. Still in the dark, she kicked off her boots, then reached for her waistband. In a final act of courage, she slid her leggings down, and pushed the bunched article aside with her foot. Then she straightened. Eyes still shut, the cold air like needles against every inch of her exposed body.

When she opened her eyes, Milos wasted no time. He stepped closer to her, notably sniffing and making a face.

“Smells like piss.”

“Singetail, to be exact.” Krogan butted in. “Untrackable.”

“I see… Open your mouth, darling.”

Astrid was confused, but there were certainly _worse_ things he could ask of her. She obliged.

He leaned in to get a good look, and she silently wished he’d go in with his fingers. She’d absolutely _love_ to see his reaction once she’d bitten them clean off.

“Hmm, a bit crooked on the bottom. But well maintained.”

The man’s gaze then drifted from her face, down her neck, and settled on her chest.

“Pretty skin. A few scars.” He noted, before reaching out and shamelessly grabbing her breasts. Astrid bit her tongue before it had the chance to dissuade, jaw clenching as she was violated for the umpteenth time since her capture.

 _Don’t show fear._ She told herself, forcing her eyes to remain on Milos. Even void of her boots, she was still taller than him. Which gave her a bizarre sense of comfort. _Stand your ground._

His grasp was surprisingly soft, not calloused or rough like the soldiers had been. This man was no fighter, that much she could tell. But, much like his gaze, his grasp wasn’t hungry. He seemed to weigh her mounds thoughtfully in each hand, squeezing them and running his cold thumbs over her nipples.

“Breasts are small.” He cocked his head. “But firm.”

His hands then traveled down her sides, feeling over her waist and down the sides of her hips. She shivered beneath his touch.

“Slim, but muscular. Definitely a warrior.”

He went on feeling her, like a farmer meticulously choosing the best animal from a stockhouse. Then, his hand slipped between her legs, and his fingers brushed against her sensitive folds. Astrid choked on a gasp, but held her stoic demeanor.

Milos stared at her face as he felt her down there, not shying away from any inch of her body. Thankfully though, he pulled his hand away.

“Turn around.”

She did, just happy she didn’t have to look at him any longer. But it didn’t take long for him to stir the pot of rage she was concealing.

“Ooooh, now we’re talking...”

Astrid’s confusion was momentary before his hands eagerly grabbed her ass. He ran his palms over her curves, squeezing handfuls and digging fingers roughly into her flesh.

“Just enough muscle, and so soft…” He breathed into her ear. She gulped, feeling like her chest was about to erupt from rage. “You, my darling, have a _perfect_ ass.”

Astrid could imagine it so perfectly. She could see herself elbowing him in the rib-cage right then and there, the bones would _crack_ oh so easily from her position...

“Can we get on with it?” Krogan spoke up. Astrid turned to see him leaning against the wall, arms crossed with impatience. “We know she’s pretty. But that’s not what makes her valuable.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Milos sighed, and depressingly removed his hands. Astrid was relieved, before a swift _smack_ to her butt made her yelp. “On the desk, sweet cheeks. Face up.”

She didn’t hide her glare, but when she turned to look at him, Milos was digging through one of the desk drawers, looking for something.

Astrid’s eyes drifted across the table, noting that there was enough room for her to lay, but dreading the demeaning position. Taking a final look at the entrance to the room, the bowmen were still poised. Accepting defeat, pressed her naked hips against the edge, then laid herself back onto the cold surface.

In her position, she was staring directly up into the skylight. The bright blue light emanating from the icy walls of the cavern nearly blinding her. It shone down like a spotlight, as if she needed any more attention drawn to her exposed self.

Before she even realized it, Milos was standing in front of her, between her spread, dangling legs. Looking down on her with intrigue, the light above casting ghostly shadows that darkened his face. He chuckled deeply.

“You look good like this.”

Astrid clenched her fists so hard she could feel blood drawing from her palms.

Milos didn’t gawk for long, instead, he kneeled before the table. His face mere inches away from her undercarriage. He was silent for a long while, and she was left to wonder exactly what it was about her crotch he found so interesting.

“Hairy. Though, that can be taken care of.”

Astrid kept her eyes on the skylight, wishing Thor would just strike her dead and save her from the humiliation.

“But never mind that, let’s see if you’re worth something…”

His fingers were on her again. Only this time, they explored much _deeper._ Astrid screwed her eyes shut as his cold thumbs dug into her warm slit, and painstakingly spread her open. It was such an odd sensation, everything all sensitive and _stretched._ And he just kept spreading her! Leaning in so close, his breath trickled across her flesh. A chill ran down her spine.

He held her like that for an eternity before he found what he was looking for.

“Mmhh… there it is.” He muttered. “A bit stretched, but it’s there.”

“So she’s a maiden, then?” Krogan pressed.

“She is.”

Astrid blinked, finally realizing what it was they’d been so adamant about. He’d been looking for her maidenhead… But what did _that_ have to do with-?

“So it’s settled!” Krogan affirmed, stepping toward the desk. “I’m certain we can negotiate a price-”

“Whoa whoa whoa there!” Milos stood from his place between Astrid’s thighs. “Let’s not act too hastily, now. You know good and well how this goes, Krogan. I still need to assure that all the _equipment_ works properly.”

Krogan scowled, then leaned back against his place on the wall. _He knew,_ he thought through the frustration, _but thought it to be entirely unnecessary._

Astrid remained still on the table, having absolutely no idea what they were referring to. _Equipment?.._

Suddenly, Milos was fumbling with a small bottle of something he’d pulled from the side of the desk. It must’ve been whatever he was searching through the drawers for earlier, Astrid hadn’t even noticed it sitting right beside her. He pulled the cork loose with a _pop,_ and very carefully swirled whatever liquid was inside. He tilted it slowly, allowing a single drop to coat the tip of his finger, hardly any at all.

His free hand rubbed softly across her inner-thigh, pushing her legs open a little wider. His finger, coated in the strange substance, dipped between her legs.

Milos smirked, “This might tickle.”

Astrid gasped in shock as his finger rubbed across the hypersensitive flesh of her clit, the liquid transferring over. Milos moved slowly, rubbing the little nub in small circles, spreading the substance. The first touch of anyone there but her own...

It wasn’t long before she started feeling the effects. The skin beneath his finger began to feel icy, like it was about to freeze off. Then, it started to tingle. Like little currents of lightning weaving their way deep inside. _Deep,_ deep inside.

Milos continued to rub. Except now switching to the much larger pad of his thumb, he thrummed her sensitive spot, speed increasing with each passing second.

Astrid blinked. Feeling the tingles sink impossibly deep, until they struck something that made her insides twinge.

Oh…

_Ohhhhh-_

She couldn’t exactly help the little groan that came from her throat, in fact, she hadn’t realized it until it was already trilling off her tongue. But such an action snapped her back to reality, and she realized what he was trying to do. What he was trying to make her _body_ do.

No… Nonononono-!

“Feels good, huh?” Milos mocked, eyes trailing up and down her pale body. “A little remedy we use up north. A few gel-infused mint extracts, gets the blood flowing to all the right places, like right here-”

He gave her clit a painful pinch.

 _“Gahh-!”_ Astrid quickly bit onto her clenched fist, determined to keep silent. He wasn’t getting to her, he _wasn’t!_

“And deep in here…” His free hand drifted across her lower-abdomen. Pressing down slightly to feel her insides twitch. He hummed, continuing his rubs to her sensitive nub.

All the blood had since evaded Astrid’s limbs, pooling hot in her lower-belly to fuel her writhing organs. Small, but quickly growing waves of pleasure pinged through her abdomen. Gods, this couldn’t be happening! How could her body do this to her?! She didn’t want _any_ of it! Tears threatened the corners of her eyes.

Though finally, it seemed like Milos had got what he wanted.

“Ah, here we are.” He mused as his finger dug low into her slit. Astrid winced at the unusual sensation, before Milos held up his hand to examine.

His finger was glistening, covered in a slimy-clear substance. Astrid fought back a sob when she realized it was her own arousal. She hoped the discovery of such would satisfy him, but if anything, he rubbed her harder, faster.

“Think I can make her cum?” Milos halfheartedly asked over his shoulder.

Krogan huffed, “Don’t know, don’t care.”

“Oh please, Krogan. You can _not_ look me in the eyes and say this isn’t intoxicating to witness.”

Krogan said nothing. In all honesty, he had little interest in the act. Of course, he was male, and _human._ The sight of any girl, an unwilling naked one at that, writhing in pleasure was most certainly a sight to behold. He just had more important things to focus on at the moment, and quite frankly, wanted this stupid bitch out of his hair.

Astrid was choking back sobs at this point. There was no more denying the pleasure that pooled hot in her body. Each stroke of his thumb made her even wetter, her arousal now dripping steadily down her thigh. She bit hard at her lip, refusing to give into the sensation.

“I’m not stopping until you finish, sweet cheeks.”

Astrid groaned, twisting her head to the side in a useless attempt to hide her face. His thumb moved to the opposite, more sensitive side of her slick, swollen nub. Electricity striking into her core. Gods, she’d never been touched like this by anyone else. She could feel her tight, untouched channel squeezing and pulsating within her, in search of something to clamp down on and fill her up nicely. _It felt so good…_

No-! She wouldn’t!

“Mmm, look at your _gorgeous_ body. Begging for cock. Come on now, sweet cheeks, cum like a good girl.”

 _“Fuck_ you!” She growled through gritted teeth.

Milos smirked, before adding a finger into his motions. This one, rubbing forcefully over her tight, soaked entrance. Just pushing enough so she’d feel it, not enough to penetrate. Her fists balled at her sides as an involuntary whine escaped her lips.

“Give your body what it wants.”

Astrid felt like crying. A frightening, but familiar feeling of pressure building in her core. The dual sensations becoming too much, too intense, too _good._ The heat rose like boiling water in a cauldron, rising and rising, until it would spill over…

_No! She didn’t want it to make her-! She didn't-!_

All at once, Astrid lost control of her body. Dangling legs shaking violently, dilated eyes rolling back in her skull. She groaned, nails clawed hard at the table beneath her, no doubt leaving marks on the expensive material as she was brought to the most intense orgasm of her life.

The tingling mixture on her clit dug deep into her nerves, amplifying the foreign sensation by a thousand. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Powerful, orgasmic surges pulsated through her abdomen as a final gush of fluid escaped down her milky thighs.

“Absolutely beautiful.” Milos murmured, ceasing his rubbing and gently drawing circles on the pale skin of her hips. Now in the after-state of her climax, Astrid struggled to catch her breath. She kept her head turned against the cold table, eyes screwed shut in absolute shame. The man above her was amused, nonetheless. “I’ll take her. Five thousand gold coins.”

“Five thousand?!” Krogan bellowed in anger. “For a maiden Viking warrior?! For god’s sake, look at her! She couldn’t be more perfect!”

“Have I not made it clear that she’s _old_ for a maiden?" Milos responded, not taking his eyes off the girl before him. “She could be a goddess for all I care, but if she doesn’t meet the standards of mainland buyers, you think I have any use for her? Five thousand, take it or leave it.”

Krogan scowled, “Fine. But I expect payment up front.”

“I wouldn’t suggest otherwise.”

“Come on then.” Krogan motioned for his men to follow him.

“Actually.” Milos jutted in. “Could you leave your bowmen? I’ll see that they make it back, just from what you’ve told me, I don’t trust this one any more than I can throw her.”

“Whatever.” Krogan mused, before abruptly exiting the chamber. Letting in a swift gush of icy wind from outside, it trickled across Astrid’s naked body. She trembled.

“Looks like it’s just you and me from now on, sweet cheeks.” Milo smiled above her.

“F-F… Fucking pervert.” She managed though chattering teeth.

“Mmmh, you got me there.” His palms shifted from her hips up the sides of her waist. “He was right, you know, you _are_ perfect.”

“Yeah?” Astrid fumed. “I'm not s-stupid. You talk a lot for someone who can’t even _rape_ me if he so wanted.”

His hands stopped, and she chuckled to herself. He was an idiot, saying his plans out loud. Now she knew he couldn’t touch her, _no one_ could. Not if she was to remain pure. It gave her a chilling, but definitive sense of security, for the time being at least.

“You think so?” He hummed. “Well, that’s something I often pride myself in. Keeping the merchandise untainted, though, there certainly _have_ been temptations. But… not many like you.” His hands continued sliding as he spoke, eyes trailing across every inch of bare skin. “It isn’t often I have a true warrior in my stock. Peasant girls, all the time. Poor farm girls whose fathers would trade them for a yak and some clean water, plenty of those. But a Viking _,_ especially one with an ass as perfect as yours…”

His hands stopped on her hips again. For the briefest of moments, their eyes locked.

“On second thought-”

Astrid shrieked as she was violently flipped over, face and front-side now pressed hard against the wood table. His fist was balled in her hair, pulling the golden strands and pushing at the same time, she groaned unsteadily as her concussed skull pounded in pain. She tried pressing upwards, but her cold, weakened body was hardly capable.

“Ohh _fuck_ yes…” Milos chimed from behind her, staring down at her ass now before him almost presentationally.

Astrid gasped as he thrusted his clothed hips against her backside a few times. She could feel something hard pressing against her, somewhere buried beneath the layers.

Milos watched in awe as her milky skin rippled enthusiastically with each thrust, her cheeks bouncing against him. “Gods above… I have half a mind to bury my cock in your asshole right here and now. They wouldn’t know, no one pays much mind to _that_ hole.”

He dipped his hand between them, running his fingers through her still slick folds. After they were coated, he slid them over her tight, puckered asshole. He pried, wriggling just the tip of his finger into the squeezing muscle.

“AH! _Stop!_ Don’t-!” Astrid cried, eyes going wide at the unusual and painful sensation.

Milos dug his finger in to the first knuckle. His fist tightening in her hair.

“Better get used to it, love. There’s plenty more of this where you’re going.” His voice was deep, threatening.

Astrid scratched at the table, teeth bared as she tried desperately to push away from him. Feeling utterly helpless. But her efforts only made him more eager, his digit exploring her like her insides were nothing more than a toy.

He suddenly removed his finger, giving Astrid momentary relief of the painful intrusion. But her relief was short lived, and she gasped a painful slap landed on her asscheek. Then, his finger was back inside, a second one attempting to pry its way in as well.

This time, she didn’t hold back her yell of pain as she was mercilessly stretched open. She closed her eyes, shoving her face hard into the wood beneath her. Wishing the world would just open up and swallow her whole.

A loud banging on the chamber door ceased Milos’ actions.

“Are you nearly finished in there?!” An impatient Krogan shouted. “I have business to attend to!”

Milos paused, before extracting his fingers once more. Astrid heaved a sob of relief, but the man’s grip on her hair failed to let up. He leaned over her exposed body, lips close to her ear. He spoke softly.

“Consider yourself lucky, sweet cheeks. I nearly blew my cover.” He chuckled, “Among other things...”

He gave one last violent tug at her hair before letting go, stepping away and composing himself. He started for the exit, hardly addressing the guardsmen, who had shamelessly witnessed the entire thing. He didn’t concern himself with them, they wouldn’t speak a word.

“See that she gets herself dressed, I’ll be waiting for her on deck.” He said dismissively, before exiting the room, heavy door slamming behind him.

Astrid trembled, face still pressed into the table as if it could offer any protection. Mind swarming with thoughts, but unable to focus on a single one.

Krogan. Milos. She wanted Hiccup. The fact that her own, unwanted arousal still clung coldly to the inside of her thighs. She’d just been purchased, like a farm animal…

She wanted Hiccup.

If she didn’t find a way off this ship, no one would ever find her. Her underside burned with the pain of intrusion.

She wanted _Hiccup!_

 _Stop it._ She told herself. _You aren’t doing yourself any favors by just laying there. Get up._

Get up, and get dressed… She supposed she could start with that.


	7. There is No Choice

Hiccup was usually one to be patient. Have a good head about things, even when they were at their worst. And this? This was most certainly the  _ worst. _ But he was finding it increasingly difficult to remain calm, getting more and more irritated by the second.

Maybe it was the fact that the cell he was in smelled even worse than he himself did, even being covered in dragon piss. Maybe it was because of the constant yelling coming from somewhere nearby, and occasional roars of what sounded like an animal in distress. Maybe it was not knowing where Astrid was. No… it was  _ definitely _ not knowing where Astrid was.

Maybe it was the jackass guard in front of his cell that wouldn’t stop his Thor damned pacing!

Hiccup sat firmly against the stone wall, wanting to bang his head against it to block out the constant footsteps and rattling of keys.

“For the love of Valhalla above,” Hiccup growled, “Will you stop pacing?!”

“Quiet you!” The guard boomed, a threatening glare peeking from the slit in his helmet.

Hiccup was most certainly not one to judge people on their size, but the guard before him was  _ far _ from threatening. He was hardly as big as Hiccup, his armor almost comically oversized on his scrawny body.

The caged rider shook his head, “Look, maybe we can help each other. Tell me what Krogan wants with me, and I’ll get you out once we escape.”

The guard stopped, looking at the boy in anger. “Amusing. Do I look like a fool to you?”

Hiccup fought to hold in a witty remark.

The guard continued, “Krogan left me in charge of you. I’m not to leave you unattended, and I'm not to take any shit, is that clear?!”

Hiccup stood, walking to the cell door and grasping at the bars. “Look, you want to impress your commander, I get that. But I also know what he’s capable of, and I have no doubt you do as well.”

The guard looked angry, but surprisingly, let him speak.

“I’m the leader of Berk’s dragon riders, we have a whole tribe of people who fight to protect those who do the  _ right _ thing. We're safe there. You can’t _possibly_ feel safe under Krogan, let me help you.”

Hiccup hoped he didn’t sound too desperate, but the guardsman’s features began to soften. He stepped closer to the bars, face inches from Hiccup’s.

“Your people fight to protect what’s right?”

Hiccup nodded, “With everything in our power.”

“Is that so?” The guard’s expression turned devilish. “And I’m to believe that slaying men in cold blood is what’s right? Like your little girlfriend did to my fellow soldiers?”

Hiccup’s eyes widened, then narrowed.

“I don’t believe you for a second, laddie.” The guard chuckled. “And, as for the girl, I’d give my left nut to watch what’s gonna happen to a pretty thing like her. Krogan has no sympathy for little Viking sluts,  _ especially  _ murderous ones.”

Hiccup shook with rage, hands grasping the metal bars going white from pressure. The guard laughed maniacally in his face.

**_BOOM!!!_ **

A thunderous explosion sounded from across the shipyard, followed by a symphony of yells and shouting from soldiers.

The guard halted his taunting, twisting his head to look in the direction of the commotion.

Big mistake.

In a split second, Hiccup had hooked his arm around the guard’s neck, smashing him against the cell door in a choke hold. If he had been any bigger, Hiccup wouldn’t have been able to keep his grip. But the soldier was small, and the dragon rider was fueled with a fiery rage.

The guard struggled, but ended up flailing his arms wildly, dropping his spear in the process and struggling to take breaths.

“Scream and I snap your neck. Tell me where she is.” Hiccup demanded, trying to keep from being too loud. He loosened his grip just enough for the guard to choke out a short reply.

_ “Ack!.. _ D-Don’t-! Don’t know!”

Hiccup tightened his hold in rage, the guard’s eyes bulged.

“I don’t believe you for a second.” Hiccup mocked, “You  _ tell me _ where she is!”

The guard sounded like he was sobbing, though it was hard to tell through the coughs, “Krog-!  _ Gah… _ A ship… T-Trading!”

Hiccup finally loosened his hold enough for the soldier to take a deep inhale, but kept him pinned against the bars.

_ “Ahgh! _ I-I don’t know for sure, but there’s a merchant that docks in the port sometimes!” He managed through deep breaths. “Krogan’s taken girls there before, I don’t know if she’s there or not, I  _ swear!” _

“Why would he take her there?” Hiccup demanded.

For a few moments, the only sound came from the guard’s labored wheezing.

“H-He… The merchant, he  _ buys _ girls for…”

Hiccup’s blood ran cold. His grip involuntarily tightening, the guard choked again.

“Where…  _ where’s _ the ship?!”

_ “Ackk! _ I don’t... GAH! DON’T KNOW!.. Red sail! Ship-! Has a red sail! C-Can’t miss it! Please don’t hurt me!”

Hiccup loosened his hold for a mere second, before slamming the guard’s head back into the metal bars, helmet rattling his skull and knocking him out cold. His limp body fell to the ground before the cell door.

The boy crouched, reaching through the bars to grab the keys. Rustling with them for a moment, he listened closely for approaching guards...

Nothing. Just the constant commotion from the far side of the base.

He hastily opened the door, pulling the scrawny guard inside. Getting an idea, he moved quickly as he swapped clothing with the unconscious soldier. They were virtually the same size, and... if he was being honest, he was happy to get out of his urine-soaked clothing. He had to rip the pant leg to accommodate his prosthetic, but other than that, it was too perfect.

After pulling on the armor, Hiccup dragged the guard to the back of the dark cell. If someone were to walk past, they would hardly be able to tell it wasn’t actually him.

He donned the metallic helmet and exited the cell, shutting and locking the door behind him. Picking up the spear, he hesitated for a moment. Wondering exactly what fellow soldiers would think about an out of place, one-legged guard running around blindly. Anxiety began to creep up inside him.

_ Astrid. _ He told himself.  _ I have to find Astrid. _

He pushed the nervous thoughts away, and swiftly made his way out of the corridor of cells.

Hiccup’s fears turned out to be entirely irrational, as it didn’t seem that others on the base paid him much mind. But then again, there was so much chaos Hiccup could hardly keep focus.

Soldiers were running ship to ship in every direction, several knocking the poor dragon rider to the ground in the process. Though he was quick to get back on his feet, it was nearly impossible to navigate the maze of ships.

_ Red sail. Red sail. Red sail. _

But he saw only beige, with the occasional black dotting the shipyard around him. Cursing himself, he continued with his trek. Occasionally, more  _ BOOMS  _ and yelling would echo through the cavern. Smoke was rising from one side of the base, and the animalistic rumbles rang out around the icy walls.

_ Astrid. Astrid. Astrid. _

He turned the corner around some cargo on a cluttered deck, before gasping. Panic pulsating through his veins as he retreated, jumping backwards and hiding behind a large crate.

“You buffoons lose  _ one  _ of those coins, you lose your heads!”

Hiccup held his breath as Krogan passed by, behind him, two guardsmen dragging a wheeled cart filled with coin bags. Luckily, the man didn’t notice him, clearly content on getting wherever he was going.

Unluckily, it was probably to check in on Hiccup. And the boy had a terrible suspicion he knew where those coins had come from. His chest filled with dread as he emerged from his hiding spot, running through the shipyard even faster than before.

After jumping aboard one of the larger ships in the fleet, a sudden rush of soldiers around him sent him tumbling to the ground again. He took this brief moment to catch his breath. Panting heavily, and though it was freezing in the icy cavern, the humid air in his helmet masked his face in sweat. He haphazardly got to his feet, stumbling briefly before looking around.

His breath caught in his throat. At the end of the fleet, just a few ships away, was a boat displaying a deep crimson sail.

That was it! It  _ had  _ to be!

He let himself breathe a sigh of relief. It was still there, he still had the chance to-

**_WWROOAAAR!!!_ **

The sound was ear-splitting, and far closer than it had been before. Hiccup turned around, and though the onslaught of rushing soldiers and yells, he saw what was making so much commotion...

Dragons.

A whole ship-full, roughly fifty yards away. He could see the fiery orange scales of a captured Monstrous Nightmare, being dragged away in chains. The striking magnesium blast of a Deadly Nadder. And he could hear the distant cries of what he assumed were many, many more.

It made sense now. Why the soldiers were scurried about. Wherever he was. Whoever was in charge, they were trapping dragons. No  _ wonder _ they’d tried to take Toothless. So many thoughts swarmed through Hiccup’s head, but one stood out more than any others: An escape.

If he could get to just  _ one _ of those dragons, it could be his ticket out of there. His and-

“...Astrid.” He mumbled, voice muffled by the helmet, turning once again to look at the ship he’d been searching for.

There were men aboard disconnecting ropes from the connecting vessels. The ship was leaving.

Time seemed to slow down as Hiccup stood there, frozen in indecision. He didn’t know what was on that ship, he didn’t even know for sure if Astrid was aboard. Even if she was, how could they escape?

The dragons. If he managed to get near one without being set ablaze, he would still have to bond with it, train it, all under the surveillance of other soldiers. And if he  _ did _ by some miracle get out of this Thor-forsaken base on dragonback, there was nothing to track Astrid with. She’d be gone.

His pulse quickened as he weighed his options.

The dragons?

Or the ship?

The crimson-sailed boat began shifting, moving forward ever so slightly.

The dragons?

Or the ship?

Roars continued to erupt from the trapped beasts, wails of burning soldiers came along with it.

The dragons?

Or the ship?

_ The merchant. _ Hiccup thought of the scrawny soldier’s words.  _ He buys girls for... _

That was it. Hiccup knew that, when it came down to a choice, there was no choice. If the soldier had been telling the truth, Astrid was in trouble. She needed him, and he wasn’t about to let her go.

He threw the spear aside, glancing over his shoulder one last time at the dragons, then took off.

Determined to make it to the ship before it reached beyond the port’s edge, but it was moving faster now. He could hear the sound of sailors yelling commands from on deck, the rippling, blood-red sail taunting him as he ran.

Closer, he was almost there. Ten more seconds, and the ship would be out of reach.

He evaded running into cursing soldiers, jumping over cluttered cargo as he approached the final connection. Legs burning as he ran, air so hot in his helmet he could hardly breathe. Panic set in as the ship began turning away from the port, the final stretch of the quarter deck skimmed along the neighboring boat.

He made it to the edge, jumping over the final ship’s railing. For a brief moment, he saw the murky, black water turning below. Then, he was crashing onto the dark, wooden deck of the departing ship.

With no time to be grateful of his victory, he held his breath as he looked around. The particular area of deck was barren of guards, thank the gods, but Hiccup quickly heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

No where else to go, he dove for a narrow slot between cargo crates. Thank Odin for his small stature, or else he wouldn’t have fit. Hidden from the rest of the deck, he tensed as the footsteps grew closer. Before they stopped just a mere few feet away.

“See? Nothing.”

“Shut your mouth, will ya? I thought I heard something.”

“Going crazy already? Hah, got a long trip ahead of us, better not lose it before the rest of us.”

“Asshole…”

With that, the footsteps retreated, and Hiccup allowed himself a moment to finally,  _ finally _ breathe.

Of course, the moment was drowned out by the sudden rush of anxiety that hit him like a tsunami. He was committed now, no getting off this ship. No dragons to help him. He was on his own…

Or so he thought.

Because after a short while wallowing in his own anxiousness, the sound of a heavenly familiar voice from across the deck speared through his senses.

“Just let me  _ go!” _

It was her… It was  _ Astrid! _

Hiccup nearly teared up from joy, his gamble hadn’t been for nothing, she was here!

And apparently, just as scared as he was.

“NO!” Her scream echoed from across the deck, “We have to go back! I can’t leave, I  _ CAN’T!” _

And just like that, his joy at hearing her lovely voice turned to stone cold pity. And as her screams turned to cries, and her cries grew distant, he felt his heart sink. She didn’t know that he was there, that he hadn’t abandoned her.

As they finally exited the cavernous, icy fortress, daylight greeted the ship. And as much as he wanted to slice the men who’d captured Astrid into a thousand shreds, he needed to be smart about this.

He settled into his hiding place, waiting for the opportunity, and taking the time to think it all through.

And time, is something he had plenty of.

  
  


“Krogan, please! I swear I didn’t mean to-”

Krogan silenced the guard by pinning the tip of his sword firmly against his exposed throat. Not one for excuses, especially when it came down to this. Hiccup Haddock... escaped. On  _ his _ watch.

“Listen to me very carefully.” Krogan spoke quietly, but threatening, nonetheless. “Where did he go?”

The scrawny guard gulped, wincing as the act drove the steel further into his skin, drawing a drop of blood.

“I-I don’t know, he knocked me out before he left. He was w-wanting to know where the girl was.”

“And what did you tell him?”

The guard was silent for a brief moment, nearly sobbing. “N-Nothing, I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Hmm.” Krogan hummed. “And I’m to believe that he left you incapacitated without any information?”

“It’s the truth! I swear it!” He panted. “I-I didn’t tell him about Milos, I swear to Odin himself!”

Glaring daggers into the guard’s fearful eyes, Krogan lowered his sword. Allowing the boy a chance to breathe.

But only for a moment.

“Who said anything about Milos?” Krogan asked, genuinely intrigued.

The guard stared on, speechless. “K-Krogan, I-”

Krogan drove the tip of his sword deep into the guard’s neck, silencing him in one swift move. Ignoring the horrific gurgles of the boy choking on his own blood, Krogan exited the cell.

“Search the base,” He spoke to the two solders accompanying him. “We’re finding that boy.”

“Should we send a ship after Milos?” One of them asked. “In case he already escap-”

_ “If _ he made it onto that ship,” Krogan shot back. “He’s dead anyway. Do we have any use for a dead dragon rider?”

“No Krogan… W-We’re on it, Krogan.”

With that, the two guards scurried away. Krogan wiped his sword clean on his cloak, turning to glare at the now-deceased guard.

All of his work. Sending men after the Night Fury, capturing the riders, getting them back to Drago’s base... After everything, that stupid  _ girl _ had been of better use to him. Yet still, five thousand coins, for all of  _ this? _

He shook his head, his anger faltering for a single moment, and he allowed himself to smile at the thought of what would happen to the boy on that damned merchant’s ship.

The idea alone was worth more than the gold.

  
  


Night had since fallen over the infinite ocean, and though Hiccup couldn’t see much from his hiding spot, he was allowed a narrow view of the sea beyond.

They hadn’t passed any landmarks since their departure, nothing besides the occasional sea stack and iceburg. Judging from the direction the sun had set, Hiccup concluded that they were headed northeast.

But with no knowledge of where Krogan had taken them, and no proper visual of the horizon…

It was safe to say he was absolutely, unavoidably lost.

But at the very least, all had been quiet on the deck. No footsteps, no distant sound of chattering guards he’d come to expect on a ship full of sailors. Nothing. It was almost peaceful.

Knowing that the cover of darkness was the best he was going to get, Hiccup decided it was time to survey the ship.

Upon leaving the array of cargo crates, he was indeed correct in his observations. The deck was barren, at least from what he could see. He was also, finally, given a proper view of the sea, and it was exactly as empty and endless as he expected. Complete with a silver half-moon shining above, illuminating the sparse waves and casting a bluish haze on the ship.

Hiccup moved slowly, making his way to the railing and studying the side of the ship. He took note of its size, somewhat surprised how small it was compared to the standard warships he saw back at the fleet. Though, it appeared to be deep; likely housing many chambers below deck.

Aside from that, he noticed a few small dinghies hanging along the sides. Such a small detail gave him a sliver of hope, and he began to form a plan. But first, he needed to find Astrid.

Slowly making his way to the lower decks, he monitored carefully, still surprised at the apparent lack of guards. Spotting a set of steps leading below deck, he picked up his pace.

His breaths were shallow as he descended into the depths of the ship, the corridor he’d found himself in was pitch black, aside from the distant torchlight emanating from a nearby opening. Once he’d turned the corner, he froze, finding himself face to face with a large, armored guard.

Who was… asleep.

Slumped back in his chair, torchlight sparsely illuminating his crimson armor. Hiccup could hear soft snores bellowing from his partially opened mouth.

Hiccup was in disbelief. What kind of ship was this? Sailors aboard, but no guards? And the one he  _ did _ find was asleep? It was almost too good to be true. The monotony of the situation didn’t do anything to diffuse the heavy tension the boy was feeling, if anything, it made it worse.

Looking down the next corridor, Hiccup was greeted to yet another cell-block. It was dark, torches dotting the walls every ten feet or so, but it would have to do.

  
  


Curled in a ball, huddled in the corner of her cell, Astrid had finally reached the point where she’d run out of tears.

But it hadn’t started as sadness. When they’d finally brought her out of that psychopath’s chamber, she realized that the ship had already departed. And she was left to watch as the large fleet of ships grew further and further away, before she was dragged below deck and tossed mercilessly into a cell.

She’d since gone through every troubled emotion possible, fear, anger, regret, then sadness. Though she couldn’t say that she’d really  _ accepted _ the fact that no one would ever find her, it was all she could think about. She didn’t know where she was going, or if she’d ever make it home. She just knew that, despite all the abuse she’d faced today, she believed Milos when he’d said there was much more of it to come.

But her brain and body were exhausted, and quite frankly, she didn’t  _ want _ to sit there and think about it, or even think about escaping. It would only make her more upset, knowing that she was trapped, and there was no getting out of this. So instead, she just layed there. Accepting the silence and letting the faux peacefulness of the swaying ship lull her into a much needed slumber.

Which in turn, lasted longer than she expected. Until a soft, but noticeable tapping on the metal bars of the cell woke her.

Her eyes were hazy upon opening, being red and puffy from emotion didn’t help either. But nonetheless, she saw a guard standing there. Dread filled her for a moment, until she realized, this guard looked different. Dressed in armor that was certainly not crimson, with a sturdy helmet covering his face.

Until he took it off, and she was suddenly convinced she was still asleep, stuck in a taunting dream.

“So, what are you in for?” He asked with his trademark crooked smile.

Nope. Definitely not dreaming.

“Hiccup!?” She gasped in disbelief, rushing to the cell entrance as fast as her wobbly legs would allow.

“Shh! Try to keep your voice low.” He whispered, glancing over his shoulder.

“I… I-I don’t-” She stuttered, unable to find the words.

“I know…” He said with a reassuring smile, placing his hand over hers. “It’s okay now. Look, we don’t have much time. There’s a few small boats hanging off the hull, I’m thinking if we can get to one-”

“You…” She cut him off, eyes beaming as she stared into his. “You found me, you came back for me…”

“I told you I would, didn’t I?” He asked with a sad smile.

“I just… I thought I’d never see you again.”

He squeezed her hand, wanting desperately to ask if she was okay, if anyone had done anything to her. But he didn’t. In part, because they had little time, but mostly because he feared the answer.

Then, her expression turned fearful. “Hiccup, you can’t be seen. If they find you here…”

She didn’t finish, and Hiccup assumed he already knew.

“We can’t think that way. Now listen, the keys to the cell, do you know who has them?”

“Uhh… th-the guard, the one who put me here, I think he’s stationed somewhere in the chambers. He has a key ring on his belt.”

“I think I know where he is. I saw him sleeping on duty, if I have a chance to get those keys, it’s now.”

He began stepping away from the cell, but her tight grasp on his hand pulled him back.

“Hiccup, wait!” She started, he was surprised when he saw tears welling in her eyes. “I… I just…”

She was so...  _ so _ happy to see him. But was unable to form words to express such, so instead, she leaned her head through the gap in the bars, and kissed him.

Needless to say, it took a moment for Hiccup to truly process what was happening. Blinking in surprise as her lips melted into his own, but after realizing he was finally being kissed by  _ Astrid Hofferson, _ he was oh so eager to return the gesture.

No, it was probably not the time, nor place for such a thing. The fact alone was what eventually drew Astrid out of his trance, she steadily pulled away. And the look he gave her after, the torchlight dancing in his emerald eyes...  _ gods. _

Though, she did get a bit frightened after he remained silent. Wondering if he even reciprocated her feelings. Soon enough though, her fear was diminished.

“I… I-I,” Hiccup stuttered, chuckling to himself as he was lost in his own words.

Astrid smiled, “Yeah?”

Face turning crimson, and heart burning with affection, he quickly spat out a half-cocked response.

“You… you smell terrible.”

And immediately wanted to punch himself right in the mouth.

Thankfully though, she snorted at his comment.

“Well, so do you.” She managed between giggles, before attempting to be serious again. “Now, go get those keys.”

She squeezed his hand a final time before letting go, and he smiled, turning on his heel and making his way quietly down the dim corridor.


	8. Welcome Aboard

Hiccup tried taking light steps, his metal leg no doubt adding to the noise. But great Thor, it was hard not to  _ skip _ as he made his way down the corridor.

Astrid had kissed him.  _ Astrid! _

After so many years of waiting for it, he never imagined it would happen in a situation like this. Less than desirable, no doubt. But still, it happened! Now, he had to focus on getting them out of there.

Finally, he’d made it to the small room connecting the corridor to the path back upstairs. Peeking slyly around the wall, he noticed that the guard was still there, and still very much asleep. Relief washed over him for a brief moment, but the undercurrent of fear still held strong. Everything was working out, which ironically was not  _ typically _ a good sign.

But he didn’t have time to ponder what-ifs, he needed to get Astrid out of there. Spotting the key ring on the guard’s belt, it appeared to be a simple clasp.

Getting as close as possible, and listening carefully for the man’s rhythmic snores, Hiccup reached out with a shaky hand. Minding the small jingles of the keys, he carefully unclasped the ring, pulling it away with haste and swiftly stepping back around the corner. Upon a final look, the guard hadn’t stirred one bit.

Hiccup allowed himself a sigh of relief, hoping beyond hope that he finally had their ticket out of this mess.

Astrid was pacing the cell when he’d made his way back, and she looked to him joyfully as he returned. Holding up a finger to his lips to keep her silent, he held up the keys. For a moment, he could swear he saw her eyes glaze over with unshed tears.

He fiddled carefully with the keys, making his first attempt to find the correct one.

“Do you have any idea which one it is?” Hiccup whispered to her, not wanting to spend too much time going key to key.

“I’m not sure,” She replied. “They threw me in here so fast I didn’t even see.”

Hiccup chuckled to himself, “I find it hard to believe they got the better of fearless Astrid Hofferson.”

“Well, believe it.” She wanted to remain optimistic, but couldn’t help but think about all that happened to her that day. She just wanted to go home. “Anything working?”

Hiccup attempted the final key, finding that it, along with the others were no match.

“None of these are working,” He begrudged, going in for a second attempt. “Are you sure this is the right ring?”

“I-I think so.”

Hiccup’s nerves were getting the better of him as the second attempt with the keys yielded no results. It wasn’t making sense, if the key wasn’t here, then where-?

“Hiccup-!”

Astrid grasped his wrist tightly. Before he could ask what was wrong, a distant voice tore through his senses.

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Hiccup gasped, dropping the key ring as he looked toward the source of the voice. Down the corridor, in the dim firelight, stood a bald, somewhat stocky man. Wearing long, sophisticated crimson robes.

Before Hiccup could even move, he yelped as a large hand grabbed the back of his neck. He was slammed roughly to the floor, a sword tip pointed directly at his chest. Above him stood the guard he’d stolen the keys from. Larger than life, and  _ very _ much awake.

“Nice to see ya again, lad.” The guard taunted.

Astrid was going insane. Screaming for them to leave Hiccup alone, banging her fists on the bars. Hiccup could tell she was pleading, but in the chaos, was only able to make out a few of her words.

“Please-! Milos, please don’t-!”

“Krogan mentioned you were captured with a boy.” Milos started, silencing Astrid. “I have a sneaking suspicion I know who  _ this _ is.”

Hiccup watched as the bald man stood casually beside Astrid’s cell, staring down at the male rider at sword-point.

“It appears we have a stowaway, boss.” The guard teased.

“I’d have to agree.”

“Look, he was just coming to find me.” Astrid pleaded. “Keep me here, just let him go! He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Hmm.” Milos hummed, staring the boy up and down. Hiccup glared into his hazel eyes. “If you call attempting to  _ steal _ my valuable property ‘nothing wrong’, you’re not as smart as you look, are you?”

“Say the word, boss, I’ll take care of it.” The guard snarled, pressing the tip of his sword harder into Hiccup’s chest. Lightly piercing the armor, Hiccup winced.

“That _'_ _ it' _ is Hiccup Haddock, heir to the Hooligan tribe of Berk!” Astrid argued.

“I don’t care what he is,” Milos glared. “If he’s of no use to me, he’s nothing but extra weight to carry.”

“H-He’s a dragon trainer!” Astrid went on, voice shaky with fear. “Best in the known Viking world! He trained a Night Fury!”

Milos scoffed, “Do I look like a dragon trader to you? Useless beasts… such a pain in the arse to trade and damn-near worthless up north.”

Astrid refused to give in, spouting out every excuse she could in her frantic state.

“He’s… he’s a blacksmith!” She shouted, tears falling rapidly. “An engineer! Has been his entire life! You could use him-!”

Milos rolled his eyes, having heard enough out of the girl. “Kill him.”

Hiccup wanted to protest, say anything at all, but he could hardly breathe under the steel of the sword.

Astrid begged, “He can build anything! Inventions! Weapons-!”

The guard chuckled, raising the blade to strike. Hiccup winced, eyes closing in fear.

“Gronkle Iron!” She cried out.

In a blessed moment, Milos raised his hand, the guard stopped dead. Astrid was still on the verge of breakdown when Milos looked at her expectantly.

“He’s experienced in Gronkle Iron?”

Astrid took a shaky breath, forcing a tough look. “He’s not just experienced, he was there when it was  _ invented.” _

Hiccup watched the scene before him warily, still somewhat amazed he was even alive. After a long pause, Milos eyed the boy deviously.

“Toss him in that cell,” He motioned to the one parallel Astrid. “I have some paperwork to go through.”

With that, Hiccup was roughly pulled upwards. And after a noisy clatter with the cell door, he was thrown inside.

Milos glanced at Astrid as the door was locked. “Don’t get used to happy endings, sweet cheeks. Not many of those where you’re going.”

Astrid glared angrily as Milos whispered something to the guard, before the two mindlessly walked off. But she finally allowed herself to breathe, wiping away her stray tears in relief as she looked to Hiccup in the cell across her.  Hiccup was just as relieved, but he couldn’t help a gasp of surprise as a voice suddenly called out beside him.

“Welcome aboard, soldier.”

Hiccup hastily turned, realizing that he wasn’t alone.

A woman sat in the corner of the cell, wearing a long, ragged dress that draped over her knees. Which were brought to her chest in a relaxed position, exposing her bare, dirty feet. Her shoulder length, dark hair was tattered, and draped mostly in front of her face. And though he couldn’t make out her features in the dim light, he could’ve swore she was smirking.

“The name’s Bea.” She mused through a thick Nordic accent. Sounding a little too enthusiastic for the situation, and raising a brow when she got no response. “Well don’t look too thrilled.”

Hiccup, still processing everything, was at a loss for words. “I… I-I-”

“Wha’ever.” She dismissed, yawning and moving to lay down. “Just don’t wake me again and we won’t have a problem, kay?”

Hiccup blinked. Far too many thoughts rushing through his head to be bothered by the strange woman. His eyes met Astrid’s from across the row, and he saw an array of emotions hidden behind the icy blue. Her hands still gripped the bars tightly, and though she was grateful to every god above that Hiccup was alive, they weren’t left with much else. Now, they were both helplessly and undeniably trapped.

And in that moment, there was nothing either could say or do to change that.

Heather paced back and forth across the clubhouse floor, the glow of the fire illuminating the space in the early morning darkness. From the corner of her eye, she saw Stormfly perched atop Astrid’s empty hut, still staring off at the horizon, waiting for her rider to come home. Heather’s heart ached for the beast, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the same.

“You need to sit down.” Fishlegs beckoned, staring at her with sadness in his eyes. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

“I don’t care.” She replied sternly, fists balling in an attempt to conceal her anxiety. Though, that was becoming more of a struggle with each passing minute.

It had been an entire night since they went out tracking, only to come up with nothing. Snotlout and the twins had found nothing in their scouts around the island either, and there had been no other sign of where Hiccup and Astrid could have gone. There was nowhere left to search, nothing more to find. And now, it was nearly sunrise, and they still had no answers.

“Hiccup and Astrid are more than capable of fending for themselves, you know that just as well as I do.” Fishlegs said, trying to sound optimistic.

“No, Fishlegs, this is different.” Heather stopped, staring at him. “I-I don’t know why, but I  _ know _ something’s wrong. Really wrong! I just wish I could-”

“You’ve done all you can.” Fishlegs stood from his stool, moving toward her and taking her shaky hands in his. “We all have.”

Heather sighed, squeezing his hands tightly and letting her head tilt downcast. She was exhausted.

Fishlegs went on, “I’m scared too, but we just have to-”

He was interrupted by the distant sound of a Rumblehorn cry. The pair stared out into The Edge’s fjord, seeing the faint outline of an approaching dragon against the backdrop of morning twilight.

“Stoick!” Heather shouted, before her and Fishlegs rushed to the edge of the platform.

Skullcrusher landed with force next to the pair.

“Have you found them yet?” Stoick asked sternly, eyes red and glassy from having flown through the night.

“No, there’s been no sign of them.” Heather replied, head dropping in disappointment.

“What about tracking?” He insisted, dismounting the large dragon. “Skullcrusher can-”

“We tried it, Chief.” Fishlegs said, voice low. “We followed Stormfly out on a trail, but nothing. It’s like they vanished.”

“We’ll try again!” Stoick nearly shouted.

Fishlegs nodded, defeated and a little startled. Heather looked at the burly man with sadness.

“Stoick, before we set off, there’s something you need to see.”

Seeing the sadness on Toothless’s face was hard enough. Apparently, the poor dragon had refused to leave Hiccup’s hut since Stormfly had returned empty-handed. So there he was, nervously pawing around the building, waiting for his rider to return.

But Stoick had little time to spend, and was currently focused on the all-out massacre that had taken place in his son’s hut. After a full day, the smell of the decomposing bodies was far less than pleasant in the enclosed space, but there were more pressing matters at the moment.

“They don’t look like dragon hunters, Chief.” Fishlegs pointed out. “At least, none we’ve encountered before.”

“Has there been any sign of Viggo since the bounty?” Stoick asked, not taking his eyes off the bodes.

“None that we know of.” Heather answered.

Stoick kneeled, staring at one of the bodies up and down. Eyes landing on a broach near the top of the man’s armor, displaying a carved insignia. Squinting, he thought hard. He knew that insignia…

“Chief,” Fishlegs continued, desperate for guidance. “what… what should we do?”

Stoick sighed, “We’ll try to track them again, Skullcursher will do.”

“And if we don’t find anything?” Heather asked.

Stoick was silent for a moment, “If we don’t find them, Heather, you’ll stay here and keep track of Snotlout and the twins, someone should be here if Hiccup and Astrid return. Fishlegs and I will go back to Berk, we’ll search the archipelago from top to bottom.”

The teens nodded, before exiting the hut. Grimly, Toothless walked over to Stock, warbling sadly as the man placed a large hand on his scaly head.

“We’ll find our boy, dragon. Don’t you worry.”

But there was something else, something he couldn’t shake from his mind. He reached down and pulled the broach from the soldier’s body, studying the insignia a little closer. A deathly, horrid feeling boiled from somewhere within him. He would need a second opinion as to what it meant, but feared he already knew the answer.

Great gods above, he hoped he was wrong.


	9. Whatever Peace is Left

Milos combed through his stacks of papers, slightly mixed together from his impromptu desk usage earlier that day. He grumbled, hating being so disorganized.

Finally, he found what he was looking for. Amongst a sea of requests from sellhouses and private commissioners, an old request from the north. Detailing the overwhelming demand for Gronkle Iron weapons and gear in the city, and a smithy owner sending requests to all well-acclaimed merchants. The city… Dødsbyen.

He chuckled to himself, it was almost too perfect. Though it was an old request of the past year, the chances of any experienced smiths being purchased since then was pretty slim.

A knock on the chamber door caught his attention, before the guardsmen from below deck entered the room.

“Any news on the captive, sir?”

“Yes actually,” He replied, still studying the sheet of paper. “Turns out we have a place for him, I’m trusting you’ll assure he’s kept alive.”

“Of course.”

“Excellent. Inform the crew, we’ll continue to our nearest destination, the reroute to Dødsbyen.”

The guard huffed, “Dødsbyen? Haven’t been there in ages, quite the trip up north, is it not?”

“It is.” Milos remarked, tucking the paper away in a safe place. “But I have a feeling it’ll be well worth our time.”

The guard nodded, before exiting, leaving Milos to grin in amusement. Envisioning everything he’d do with his upcoming earnings.

Below deck, the air was heavy. And having been held captive in the bowels of a ship for the better part of two days now, neither Hiccup nor Astrid felt like sitting still.

Hiccup fidgeted with his prosthetic, wondering to himself if there was a way to use it as a weapon against the guards. It was something that had certainly worked before, thinking back to his days on Outcast Island. Though, it wasn’t like the Outcasts to have much intellectual ability. Whoever  _ these _ men were, they didn’t seem like they’d fall for something so obvious.

Astrid was a little calmer, sitting against the wall of her cell. If anything, she enjoyed the peace and quiet. After the day she’d had, everything appearing to move in slow motion didn’t feel too bad. Especially when she knew Hiccup was alive, and that he was with her. She desperately wished they could've shared a cell. She just wanted to touch him, hold him for as long as they had left together. But she couldn’t. And there was no denying the tension, they were still prisoners. And as far as she knew, someone’s  _ property. _

“Hiccup?” Astrid spoke softly.

He stopped his fidgeting to look at her, but she kept her eyes down.

She gulped, holding back emotion. “I’m so sorry…”

He blinked in confusion, “For what?”

She sighed, “For everything. For getting us here."

“Astrid, it wasn’t your-”

“It was my call to stay in that night. It was my idea to drink. It was  _ my _ fault I didn’t have my guard up.” She sniffled, hands balling into fists. “It’s my fault Hiccup, ALL of it!”

“Do you even hear yourself?” Hiccup responded, his tone deathly serious.

She didn’t respond.

“If it’s your fault we’re here, then I’m just as responsible.” He concluded. “I should’ve known there were people out for Toothless and I, after all those bounty hunters… I shouldn’t have let things go back to normal as soon as I did. And the worst part is, they weren’t even  _ after _ you! It was  _ me _ they wanted, you shouldn’t be here at all…”

The guilt washed over him as he thought about the uncertainty they both faced.

“None of that matters anymore…” She said.

“Astrid, you can’t just give up like that-”

“Hiccup,” She finally found the courage to look at him, though her next words were beyond painful. “You… you know what he’s selling me for?”

Hiccup felt something inside of him die in that moment, he wasn’t sure what it was, but he unfortunately knew the answer to that question. He just couldn’t bear to think of it… Astrid, the girl he loved, the one he swore he’d always protect, being used for…

There was nothing he could say.

“Try to get some rest.” She said after a long silence. “Enjoy it.”

He huffed, "Enjoy what, exactly?"

She sighed, "Whatever peace is left."

He watched as she laid down on the hard wooden floor of her cell, still as a statue in the cold air of the chamber. Unsure of how he could find any peace at _all,_ he leaned back against the wall, letting his head rest against it. Thinking about Toothless, his father, the other riders. Until somehow, he managed to drift off...

  
  


Hiccup didn’t know if he’d been dreaming, or even how long he’d managed to stay asleep. But something woke him. At first, he thought he’d been imagining it, it felt like someone was  _ touching _ him. Surely he’d been mistaken, his head lolled to the side, and he tried to go back to the sweetness of sleep. But before he could, he felt it again.

Another touch, like a  _ rubbing _ sensation. Right on his…

His eyes shot open, only to find his cellmate, that strange woman with the dark ratty hair, sitting directly before him. Bea, he remembered her name. She was smirking, and her hand was groping the front of his pants.

He shrieked, pushing her away, albeit a little harder than he’d intended to. She landed on her elbows with a  _ thud, _ staring back at him with a glare.

“Wha’ are you on about?!” Bea exclaimed.

Hiccup’s breath had caught in his throat, he tore his gaze away from her to look at Astrid. Who, thankfully, was sound asleep across the aisle. He scowled at the woman before him.

“Me?!” He accused, voice a loud whisper as to not wake Astrid. “Why were you touching me?!”

“Come on,” She rolled her eyes, which were a stormy grey, starkly contrasted by the dark hair that hung above them. “It’s so borin’ in here! I thought you’d want to have a lil’ fun?”

Her expression softened a bit, and she batted her eyes at him. Hiccup was dumbfounded, staring at the woman before him up and down. She couldn’t have been much older than him, mid 20s at most. But her demeanor was odd, she looked far too happy for someone who was supposed to be a  _ prisoner. _

“I’m not interested.” He replied firmly, casting another glance at Astrid.

This time, she followed his gaze.

“She won’t know, if that’s wha’ you’re worried about.” Bea scooted closer again, as Hiccup retreated as far back as the wall would allow. She moved to sit on her knees, leaning close to him before giving a sultry wink. “Tha' is, as long as you can keep quiet.”

Then, entirely unprompted, she pulled at the laces holding her ragged bodice.

Hiccup’s blood ran cold, as he was suddenly staring at the naked chest of this random woman. Her breasts were large,  _ very _ large, hanging plump and low, he found it surprising he hadn’t noticed them before. But then again, that sort of thing had been the absolute  _ least _ of his concerns. But great Thor, it was impossible not to notice now. It’s not as if he saw this sort of thing every day… or,  _ ever _ for that matter!

She smirked at him again, grabbing one of her huge mounds and shaking it alluringly. “Now, is it my turn to see wha’ you’re packin’?” She reached for his crotch again.

Only to have her hand swatted away. He shook his head, tearing his eyes from her chest in shame. “I-I already told you, I’m NOT interested.”

She eyed him for another moment, before an amused smile crossed her face.

“Ahhh, I see.” She mused, thankfully tucking her huge breasts back into her dress. “Prefer swords to sheaths do ya?”

It took Hiccup a long moment to understand her quip.

“W-What? Uh, no! No, I’m not-”

“I’m not judgin’!” She cut him off, throwing her hands up. “I like things up there too, not very ladylike I’m afraid, but nothin’ beats a nice cock up the arse.”

At this point, Hiccup had thrown all sense of normality out the window. Truly surprised that he could  _ continuously _ be as stunned as he was in that moment. He rubbed his face, trying hard to focus on anything to say. But, seriously.  _ How _ was he supposed to respond to THAT?

“Listen… Bea, right?”

“That’s me.”

He stuttered, desperate for answers. “W-Who even are you? I mean- what are you  _ doing _ here? What does Milos want with you?”

To his surprise, she snorted with laughter. “Ya serious? Ya really haven’t figured it out?”

Hiccup’s pause told her everything.

She brushed some dirty hair from her face, “Well,  _ obviously _ I’m a whore. Ya must not have many where ‘yer from. Anyway, I don’t know  _ exactly _ where I’m goin’, just know I’m on another round of trade.”

“Round of trade?” Hiccup pressed.

“Yeah, ya know, someone buys me, fucks me for a while, and when they get bored, they trade me for someone different.”

Hiccup blinked, trying to understand. “I… I didn’t know people traded, um…”

“Whores?” She said outright, grinning a little. “I don’t mind if ya say it, it’s wha’ I am. But yeah, whores can be traded and bought, not all men live near whorehouses ya see, so they find it easier to keep us around I guess. Well,  _ sometimes _ it works like that, we’re typically traded directly or taken to sellhouses.”

“Sellhouses?”

“Odin almighty, you really _don't_ know anythin', do ya? It's a big city lot full of girls for sale. Kinda like… like a farmer’s market. Except instead of shopping for oranges, you shop for women to take home and shove your cock into.” Her demeanor changed a little, becoming less enthusiastic. “That’s probably where I’m headed, and if I had to guess, her as well.”

Bea nodded toward Astrid, Hiccup followed her gaze, the pit of dread he felt inside of him growing impossibly larger.

She perked up a bit, “But don’t worry love, if she’s really a maiden, she’ll probably go to a well-off man.”

Hiccup felt a rage build in him like never before, “Where she’ll be raped and treated like property…”

Bea shrugged, “Hate to break it to ya love, but if ‘yer down here, 'yer someone's property. No question about it, that includes me and yourself.”

She then scooted back to her side of the cell, settling down and twiddling with the ends of her ragged dress, “Not so accommodating for the heir of a chief, I’m afraid.”

Hiccup was taken aback, but remembered Astrid’s outburst from earlier. Thinking of such, he realized something else was pegging at him.

“Hey,” He prompted, curiosity taking over. “Did you speak to her at all? How’d you know about her being a maiden?”

Bea huffed, side eyeing him from her corner of the cell. “No, I didn’t. But there’s a reason they didn't put you in her cell, they’d never risk a maiden being tainted. Damned bitches are worth a fortune at sellhouses. Never really understood it myself, I’m just as capable of fuckin’, don’t know why I should be worth any less.”

After that, she fell silent, occupying her boredom with picking at her fingernails or playing with the loose strings of her bodice.

Any form of exhaustion had since evaded Hiccup, and he thought through it all. Surely, Astrid was a maiden. It all made sense now, Krogan's eagerness to get her to the shipyard untouched, their current voyage to Thor-knows-where… He prayed it wasn’t true.  Looking back at the sleeping blonde in her lonely cell, he studied her peaceful form. What was going to happen to her? What was going to happen to  _ them? _

Only one thing was certain, whatever lie ahead, they were in for a  _ long _ journey.


	10. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a brief note: If I haven't already made it clear, there will be a lot of OCs in this fic. I know that can turn off some readers, so I thought I'd mention it early.
> 
> Also, Astrid's parents show up as well. I know we "technically" saw what they looked like in THW, but I absolutely refuse to acknowledge them as just random townie character models. So I'll be personalizing them a bit here.
> 
> On with the story-

“Please Gobber, tell me I’m mistaken.”

Stoick waited eagerly for a response from the blacksmith, who eyed the small metal broach under the dim light of the forge. Gobber turned it over a few times, seemingly lost in a memory. Before he turned back to his friend.

“I don’t think you are, Stoick. But I don’t understand…”

“Aye,” Stoick remarked, eyes on the dirt floor. “Drago, here? Now? And with my son!” His voice nearly grew to a yell, hands balling into fists through the fear and anger.

“You need to keep ‘yer head, Stoick. We don’t know for certain what happened.”

“I know we don’t,” Stoick responded, trying to calm himself. “But that’s just it, Gobber. You didn’t see how they left everything, it was a massacre. Those two kids put up a hell of a fight, and they were  _ still _ taken.”

“We’re gonna find them, I’m sure of it.” Gobber patted his friend’s shoulder, handing the broach back over. “You know how Hiccup and Astrid are, they’ve defended themselves and the riders from far worse than a lolly gang of dragon hunters.”

Stoick was silent, thinking it over when a voice caught their attention.

“Chief!”

They turned to see an out-of-breath Fishlegs entering the forge, holding up an opened scroll. “Terror mail, from The Edge!”

“What is it, Fishlegs? Were they found?!” Stoick pressed.

“No, but Heather thinks she’s narrowed down the location of Viggo’s new base. She followed a convoy of hunter ships from the Northern Market, and came up with this-”

Fishlegs handed the map over. Stoick studied it carefully, Gobber eyeing it over his shoulder.

“This may lead us to Hiccup and Astrid!” Fishlegs said with enthusiasm, his smile fading when there was no reaction from the men.

“Ehhh, I wouldn’t jump to any-” Gobber began, before getting cut off by Stoick.

“Send for the riders at The Edge, Fishlegs. Tell them to come to Berk as quickly as they can, we’ll start preparations for attack immediately.”

Fishlegs nodded, before running out of the cluttered building. Leaving the two men alone once more. Gobber looked at his friend in worry.

“Stoick, you don’t really think-”

“Even if Viggo doesn’t have them,” Stoick explained. “He may know something about Drago’s return. This is our only chance, Gobber.”

Gobber looked on in doubt as Stoick turned to leave, his Chief glancing back at him for one final input.

“Better stock up the armory, we’ll be needing it.”

The sun was just setting over Berk as Stoick made his way back to his house, lost in thought at all of the revelations he’d made. It was possible, likely even, that Drago was involved. But how?  _ Why? _ After so many years, it just didn’t make sense. He hoped it was some wild coincidence… yes, yes it  _ had _ to be. Hiccup was going to be fine. He knew it.

Halfway up the path to the house, he noticed a figure pacing back and fourth in the front of it. Her movements were controlled, but it was clear she was in distress.

“Hilda?” Stoick questioned.

The woman stopped, perking up at the sound of his voice. Her tired, icy blue eyes met his. “Chief! I-I hate to disturb you so late in the day-”

“Nonsense.” He responded warmly, finally making it up to the door.

“I was just wondering if there was any news?” She asked with tightly clasped hands.

Stoick looked her over. Gods... it was  _ impossible _ not to see Astrid in her distinguishable features. Long, dirty-blonde hair pulled back into a chaotic assortment of braids. Her tall, slender figure masked beneath heavy furs in the autumn chill. Her face, weathered with subtle wrinkles and scars, no doubt from her years as a warrior, was somewhat red and puffy. Particularly her nose and eyes. Though, it didn’t look like the cold was responsible. She looked like she’d been crying.

“Nothing for certain,” Stoick began. “But Heather may have located Viggo’s base. If there’s any chance we’ll find them, it’s there.”

Hilda’s features brightened at this, “That’s fantastic! Is that all?”

Stoick debated for a moment on whether or not he should tell her about Drago. Deciding against it, because as it stood, it was just a theory. But the fact alone didn’t help to ease his guilt as he shook his head in response.

Hilda relaxed, letting her hands fall to her sides.

“How’s Leif holding up?” Stoick asked.

She chuckled at the mention of her husband, “Keeping himself busy. The man’s been out hunting every day since we got the news… Just distracting himself, of course. But it’d be nice to have someone around at a time like this.”

“Hilda...” Stoick placed his large hand on her shoulder in comfort. “I may be your Chief, but your daughter means a great deal to my son, and to me as well. You’ll always be able to come to me, no matter what.”

Hilda smiled sadly, remaining silent for a few moments. “I better head home, thank you Stoick.”

She briefly patted his hand on her shoulder, before walking off into the darkening village. Stoick sighed as she left, knowing all too well what she was feeling. Something no parent should  _ ever _ have to feel.

He retreated into his house, letting the still night fall peacefully over Berk.

Astrid fidgeted with the empty bowl in her hands, missing when it had been full, even if it _was_ just with tasteless slop.

It was hard to tell exactly how long they’d been on the ship. With no windows or ways to infer what time of day it was. But they’d been fed six times since their arrival, if she was remembering correctly, which was debatable as well. Her head was in a constant state of pounding since the attack on The Edge, she smelled like an old outhouse, and she was going crazy stuck in the small cell with no sunlight.  _ Gods, _ what did Odin have against them?!

Hiccup hadn’t said much since their capture, but occasionally, the pair would lock eyes from across the dim corridor. Speaking wasn’t necessary at the moment,  _ that _ was something both of them appeared to agree on, even without addressing it. But it didn’t stop the pit in her stomach from deepening every time she saw the sadness in his emerald eyes. As if they were simply waiting for the inevitable.

That strange woman, Bea - if she was remembering correctly, hadn’t said much either. Aside from some snarky remarks toward the guard that brought them food and water. The way Astrid saw it, she didn’t want to get on anyone’s bad side anymore. She was too exhausted, too weak, and  _ far _ too mentally drained for any of that. Which made the warrior in her want to wilt away and die, but there was nothing else to do but wait…

So wait they did.

Now she sat there, eyeing her empty bowl as the occasional swaying of the ship slowly, and subtly began to subside. And the constant sound of rushing waves against the side of her cell vanished entirely.

They were stopped.

Before she had a chance to say anything, noises echoed from down the corridor, and she was greeted with the heartache-inducing sight of Milos himself, with a group of heavily armed guards trailing behind him.

“I’m afraid it’s time for the ladies to depart.” He said to no one in particular, but eyed Astrid nonetheless.

The pit of fear in her stomach grew, and she stood abruptly as the guards opened the doors to both cells, one of them going to grab Bea, who showed no resistance to the man. If anything, she appeared bored as he took her harshly by the bicep and led her out of the cell. Passing Hiccup in the process, who looked just as frightened as she did. His eyes met hers from where he stood.

Astrid’s breathing intensified as another guard went for her, he grabbed her arm, ignoring her protests as she pulled and strained with all her might. Though she was preoccupied, Milos’ laughs were unmistakable. And only aided in fueling her desire to stay with Hiccup.

She was pulled roughly out into the hall, catching another glance at Hiccup as she struggled. For a brief moment, there was nothing between the two of them. And all at once, Astrid realized the gravity of the moment.

This was it. They were being separated.

Throwing all caution into the wind, and acting on instinct alone, she managed to roughly twist the arm of the guard who held her, hearing a slight  _ pop _ as she did so. The guard cried out in pain, loosening his grip just enough for her to slip free…

Before the other men had time to react, before she was grabbed again and led away, she ran to Hiccup.

Who threw his arms around her in a tight hug, and kissed her. It was a desperate kiss, and time seemed to stand still as Astrid felt his lips against hers. Her body was cradled in his warm embrace. She felt her heart leap with far too many emotions to decipher at once, but nonetheless, they pulled away from each other. She stared fearfully into his eyes as he muttered a final request:

“Stay strong for me, Astrid…”

What happened next would be nothing but a blur in her memory. The remaining guards, taking hold of the situation, and pulling her out of his arms in the cruelest way imaginable. She would kick and scream as she was led away, wishing to  _ slaughter _ Milos as the man did nothing but stand there, smiling at her dismay. And Hiccup would call after her, even as he was slammed against the cell wall and held back by the men.

She wished she could make out what he said, remember his voice through the chaos of the moment. But as she was led upstairs to the main deck, his voice would fade, and all at once, she was completely, undeniably alone…

  
  


The harbor they had docked in was vast, and Astrid was unable to see exactly where it began, or where it ended. Ships lined the coast as far as she could see, busy merchants and travelers, she assumed, buzzed around her as they exited the ship.

The sky was completely grey, and the wind was cold. So...  _ so _ cold on her bare skin. She was being led along by guards on both of her arms, clearly content on keeping her under control after her outburst. In front of her, just a few yards away, was Bea. Still not struggling, but simply walking along.

Eventually, after walking for seemingly forever, they made it to the point in which the harbor ended, and the land began. Though the terrain was mostly flat, Astrid was able to see just how extensive the area around them was. Dirt roads weaved in every which direction, leading into a disheveled city. It was like nothing she’d ever seen.

Ahead of their group was Milos, who had ventured ahead, and now stood speaking to an official at the edge of the docks. Before them, was a horse drawn, wooden wagon. Astrid eyed the large animal as she got closer, it’s ribs visible through it’s thick, dark fur. Mane and hooves muddy and unkempt. It reminded Astrid of her own body at the moment, coated with disgusting grime that masked her pale skin in filth. In a strange sense, she knew how the poor animal felt.

Abused, alone... an object.

“Let’s go.” She heard Milos prompt, before he climbed onto the front of the cart with the official he’d been chatting with. A guard led Bea into the back of the open wagon, and she sat idly against the side. Astrid was next, all but  _ thrown _ into the wooden cart by the guards leading her, but before she could even pull herself up from the floor of it-

“Cuff that one, before she gets any ideas.” Milos dismissively commanded.

Her wrist was grabbed by a guard over the side of the wagon, and in a flash, it was in a cuff and attached to a metal ring on the bottom. Two of the guards entered the wagon, as Milos commanded the others to head back to the ship, and soon, they were being carted away through the streets of the city.

Over the busy harbor, Astrid cast one last glance at the ship with the blood-red sail. The ship that Hiccup was on. And before she knew it, they rounded a city corner, and the harbor was out of sight. She felt emotion tugging at her heart, watching her old life disappear over the tops of dilapidated houses and buildings. But she wouldn't cry, she _wouldn't._ She thought back to Hiccup's final words to her. _Be strong for me._

Saying that the city was impoverished was… probably an over-statement. Not  _ everyone _ Astrid saw looked dirty and malnourished. Only the occasional begging woman, or children hiding in the alleyways. It made Astrid shudder, and for the first real  time in her life, she desperately missed Berk and it’s people.

She just wanted a grasp of where exactly she was. Was she on an island? How far had they traveled out of the archipelago? Hiccup had mentioned something about Milos’ ship heading northeast, did they stay on that route? Or did they change course during the  _ days _ they spent below deck?

Thinking back to her horrific first encounter with Milos, he had said something about  _ mainland _ buyers. They… they couldn’t possibly be on the mainland…

Could they?

Of course, none of these questions mattered unless she could think of a way out of this. But sitting there, watching the foreign city pass by, chained to the wagon like an animal, she had little hope of that happening. It was a dangerous thought, having no hope, but without Hiccup…

She didn’t want to think about it.

Eventually, they approached a large stone building, with a high barred fence surrounding the back end. It was in a busy part of the city, wagons and carriages moving in every which way around them. But there was something strange about this building. There were no windows, no side entrances, and for some reason, a slew of people seemed to be crowding the entrance. Upon Astrid looking a little closer, they all appeared to be men. In the pit of it all, they looked to be forming some disheveled form of line.

The wagon stopped in front of the building, and Milos and the guards shuffled out. One of the men uncuffed her aching wrist from the floor of the cart, Astrid rubbed the feeling back into it for a moment, before she was roughly grabbed by the back of the shirt and dragged onto the dirt street. She didn’t hide her stare of hatred at the guard as he did so, only, he didn’t seem to pay her any mind. Bea, as she had been since they’d left the ship, was entirely compliant. And if Astrid had seen correctly, even  _ skipped _ a little as she landed on the street.

Milos walked ahead of them as they made their way to the entrance, bypassing all the clambering men as if they weren’t even there. And great Thor, they make their presence  _ very _ known. Cursing at Milos as he entered the building, shouting all sorts of incoherent, muttery demands about  _ waiting his turn. _ That is, until they noticed Astrid, then their demands fell silent, and they all opted to stare at her as if she were a prized painting. It absolutely disgusted her.

Until she was swiftly pushed into the entrance of the building, relishing in the vast temperature difference from outside, but nearly gagging at the smell. It was unlike anything she’d ever smelled before, and truth be told, she wasn’t sure she could even categorize it as distinctly  _ bad. _ It was just foreign, heady, dare she say… fishy?

It was bizarre, to say the very least.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim lights of the room they were in, as the heavy doors of the entrance swung closed behind them. Bringing with it a final gust of cold, outside wind. The room was quite small, hardly any objects or furniture, save for the large wood desk that was positioned near the back. Behind and to the sides of it were several entryways, each covered by thick curtains, obscuring any view into the rooms beyond.

Milos stepped forward, eyeing the desk and tapping his fingers against the surface. For a short while, everything appeared silent. Until there was an abrupt clamoring from the opposite side of an entryway, and the curtain was swiftly pushed aside to reveal a woman. A very…  _ interesting _ woman.

She appeared old. VERY old. But strangely, she moved authoritatively, greasy white brows knitted together in what seemed to be frustration. Her body was heavy, at least, from what Astrid could see through what she was wearing. A tattered dress, much like Bea’s, with a dirty brown apron covering her front-side. She eyed the group with hatred, even before anything was said. But when her eyes found Milos, she softened a bit.

“Ah, I was wonderin’ when you’d show up.” She nearly barked, revealing a mouth barren of teeth. And the few she had left were of the same dirty brown as her apron.

“I don’t know what you’re on about, I’m right on schedule, as always.” Milos mused, as the woman took her place behind the large wood desk.

The surface was cluttered with papers, and she began digging through a stack as she spoke. “A whore, if I remember correct?”

“A whore.” Milos prompted. “And a maiden.”

The woman stopped her shuffling and stared at Milos with wide eyes, eyes which quickly scanned the group, and as if instinctually, they landed on Astrid.

“That wasn’t in your request.” She snarled.

“It was a last-minute addition.” He assured. “I know maidens are a hassle, but I believe this one will be well worth your time. Besides, I’ve never known you to turn down something so valuable, am I wrong?”

Her scowl never faded, but eventually, she sighed impatiently. “No, I wouldn’t. We’ll make room for her.”

The two carried on their conversation, details and other nonsense. Just as Astrid was beginning to zone out entirely, someone tapped at her side. She glanced over, to see Bea eyeing her.

“Word of advice, keep 'yer mouth shut in here.” Bea whispered, it wasn’t with hostility, or even sarcasm, it seemed to be a genuine warning.

“What are they gonna do to us?” Astrid asked, only to receive a harsh push on her shoulder from the guard behind her.

“No speaking!” He commanded.

Astrid’s eyes met the floor, expecting that to be the end of it, but she heard one last hushed statement from the girl next to her.

“Just… when  _ it  _ happens, don’t tense up. It’ll hurt less if you relax.”

Astrid’s gaze shot to Bea, who was no longer looking at her, but straight ahead. As if she’d never said anything at all. What did she mean by  _ that? _

“VINCENT-!”

Astrid flinched as the old woman behind the counter screeched the name, hoarse voice piercing the air like a rusty sword. A few moments later, a man appeared from one of the entryways. At least… Astrid  _ thought _ this was a man, he appeared more like one of those orcs in storybooks she used to read as a child. He had to duck to go through the doorway, even turning to the side to fit his large, muscular body through. His face was fixed in what appeared to be a permanent scowl, not unlike the woman who called for him. Complete with a large under-bite and spotty dark beard.

The old woman casually gestured to Bea, “Take the brunette to the main-floor, find her an outfit, we should have extras lying around.”

Vincent the giant said nothing at this, just simply ventured across the small room, grabbing Bea’s arm and leading her away.

“You-!” The woman’s shrill voice commanded, Astrid glanced at her, realizing she was referring to herself. “Come over here.” She said while pulling the curtain aside from one of the smaller entryways. Astrid was pushed along by the guard, Milos watching her the whole time as she entered the room beyond.

This one was nearly, if not just as small as the entrance had been. Though the lighting was far better, torches lining the walls on all sides. In the center of the room, a waist-high, long wooden table.

Oh  _ gods, _ they weren’t seriously going to...

_ Again?! _

Her question was answered all too abruptly, the voice of the woman sounding as impatient as ever.

“Take off your pants and lie down.”

What followed was a repeat of what occurred on Milos’ ship, an embarrassing, degrading,  _ violating _ act of laying herself bare for someone to study her most intimate place. The woman was not gentle, and Astrid learned very quickly that this lady had absolutely _no_ time to waste. She dug her long, pointy fingernails painfully into the flesh of her genitals, prying her apart in search of that centimeter of flesh that made her  _ so _ valuable for some reason.

And after some digging, and outright  _ painful _ stretching, she found what she’d been looking for.

“How old is this one?” The woman asked, face still obscured beneath Astrid’s mound.

“Sixteen.” Milos replied.

Astrid’s first instinct was to correct him, not just for the sake of being right, but mainly to stick it to him. Whatever put less money in his pocket at the end of the day for selling her like a _toy_ _. _ But Bea’s words echoed through her head: Keep your mouth shut.

So she said nothing.

The woman scoffed, but appeared to buy it. Roughly slapping Astrid’s knee and standing upright, “Get up. Put your clothes back on. And you-” She stared at Milos. “You know our rates. The older, the less valuable. I’ll give you twenty-thousand.”

Milos’ face tensed at this, the frustration he was feeling was very evident. But apparently, he was in no mood to argue.

“You have a deal.” He said shortly.

As soon as Astrid finished dressing, she was escorted back into the main entrance with the others. The woman went back behind the counter, shuffling through more papers.

Before Astrid had even realized it, Milos had approached her from behind. She tensed in disgust as she felt his breath on her ear, and her skin crawled as his greedy, eager hands had caught hold of her behind. She gasped, but remained still as he groped her fleshy buttocks.

“This is where I leave you, sweet cheeks.” He chuckled into her hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that boyfriend of yours is taken care of. He’ll fit in nicely where he’s going.”

Astrid growled, unable to help herself. “If you hurt him-”

“I won’t do a thing.” Milos cut her off. “No, I’ll do nothing but simply put him in his rightful place, just as I’m doing with you. You’ll realize soon enough, sweet cheeks, that little hole between your legs is the only thing left keeping you alive. Better learn to use it, and fast.”

He gave her ass a final, firm  _ slap _ before backing away from her and approaching the counter side. Astrid’s hands were gripped tightly into fists, shaking with rage as she glared at the people before her.

If you could even call them people.

“You know the drill,” The woman said, handing Milos a slip of paper. “Our gold distributors are across the street, you’ll collect your earnings there.”

“It was a pleasure.” Milos mused, unable to keep from glancing at Astrid as he said this.

“Uh huh, now get out of here, Milos.” She said, briskly stepping around the counter and grabbing a firm hold on Astrid’s wrist. “I’ve got work to do.”

With that, Astrid was being tugged away, just before she exited the entry room once more, and was dragged away through a new doorway, she watched Milos. That  _ monster _ who got her into this, smirk and wave goodbye. And like that, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooo we're finally in the thick of it.
> 
> The next few chapters will focus solely on Astrid and what happens to her now that she's on her own, we'll get back to Hiccup after that. Just a heads up.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!


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